


Gods and Monsters

by thehelen_of_troy



Series: Gods and Monsters [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 39,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25761295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehelen_of_troy/pseuds/thehelen_of_troy
Summary: Cassandra Price loved stories. Especially ones about gods and monsters. With a first name originating from the stories of the Trojan War, Cassia couldn't help but feel connected with the tales of old. She loved the legends of knights in shining armor and valiant sword fights.Many times as she stared at the stick on stars of her ceiling, she wished desperately to be a heroine. Preferably one with a badass sword and some cool powers. But when Cassia gets exactly what she wished for and more, she can't help but wish she could go back to her life before. Unfortunately, when you're a demigod, wishes for normality aren't ones that often come true.Now Cassia must help her best friend get his mom back and save the world, all the while trying to control the strange powers she's developing and understand why exactly everyone looks at her as if she shouldn't exist.[eventual percy jackson x oc][percy jackson & the olympians]
Relationships: Percy Jackson/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Gods and Monsters [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1868827
Comments: 22
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

Cassia really didn't like buses, especially when she was stuck with an aisle seat. More often than not, they smelled like moldy cheese and there was almost always something sticky on the ground.

Despite the fact that she was particularly unhappy with half her butt was hanging off the seat and her shoes stuck firmly to the bus floor, Cassia tried to look on the bright side. Seated on the same row as her best friends, the sixth grade class of Yancy Academy was on a big yellow bus heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at some Greek and Roman artifacts.

Cassia had been looking forward to the field trip all week. She wondered if they'd get a chance to peruse the Middle Ages exhibit or, even better, the Egyptian one. Having been attending Yancy in upstate New York for the past two years, Cassia still hadn't had the opportunity to visit the spectacular new additions to the exhibits yet. Despite her excitement for the day, though, Cassia wasn't thrilled to be spending it in the company of Nancy Bobofit who was currently flinging pieces of her peanut butter sandwich at the back of her friend Grover's head.

Grover had been one of two new kids to attend Yancy Academy that year. He was tall, sensitive, skinny, crippled by a muscular disease and looked way too old to be in sixth grade. A lot of the kids at Yancy had labeled him a social outcast on his first day, which is exactly why Cassia had taken such a liking to him. Sure, he cried a bit too much and, more often than not, wouldn't stand up for himself, but he was loyal and a little odd, just like her. How he put up with all the bullying? Cassia had no idea, but she'd decided very early on that she wouldn't put up with anyone messing with her friend.

Percy let out a groan beside her as he shuffled uncomfortably next to Cassia, jostling her slightly.

Percy was the second newest student to Yancy and, despite his sarcastic attitude and talent for trouble, Cassia had taken quite a liking to him as well. On the second day of school, Cassia had stopped him from getting in a fight with Nancy. She quickly realized Percy was much like her; a kid who hated bullies, was loyal to a fault, and had a certain affinity for bad luck. The two had become fast friends despite the occasional butting of heads when it came to the how of handling problems.

With summer fast approaching, they'd made plans to hang out all summer and even planned celebrate their birthdays together. Cassia was looking forward to it, though she worried about not having Grover there to be the mediator. When the two got into a fight it was as if they were two tornados, wrecking havoc and destruction and desperately trying to quash the other until they made up.

As Grover dodged another piece of Nancy's flying PB and J, Cassia smacked her hand on the seat in front of her, ready to push herself into a standing position. "Alright. That's it. I'm getting Mr. Brunner."

Grover quickly yanked her back down into her seat. "It's fine, Cassia! Honestly, I've dealt with worse."

Cassia grumbled, casting an exasperated look towards Percy who had his hands clenched into fists.

"I'm gonna kill her," Percy mumbled under his breath. At this point, Cassia wouldn't blame him if he did.

"You can't! You know who'll get blamed if anything happens. Besides, I like peanut butter." Grover swiped a glob of peanut butter off of his neck, sticking the finger in his mouth to suck it off.

Percy groaned in disgust beside her while Cassia wrinkled her nose at the sight before slouching back down in her seat trying to ignore the smell of moldy cheese and peanut butter.  
  
  


🔱  
  
  
  


Cassia's eyes widen as Mr. Brunner led them to the Greek and Roman section of the museum in his wheelchair. She was amazed at the sight of marble statues and glass cases filled with everything from weapons to pottery. History had always been of particular interest to her; however, she often favored Egyptian mythology and the Middle Ages' stories of valiant knights and daring sword fights. She loved them so much that when she was little, her mom sent her a wooden sword that Cassia would prance around the apartment with while swinging at imaginary foes.

Their class gathered at the base of a stone column with a sphinx resting on the top. Mr. Brunner went on to tell the class that this was a grave marker for a girl around their age. Cassia listened raptly, loving Mr. Brunner's passion for the subject but she could feel Percy getting agitated next to her. She turned to him with eyebrows scrunched together in concern. "What's going on, Jackson?"

Percy grit his teeth. "Nancy's not shutting up and Mrs. Dodds is giving me that look she always does."

Mrs. Dodds was evil incarnate, or so Cassia liked to say. The woman hated Percy with every evil bone in her body and and Cassia was always next on her hit list. Cassia winced at the withering glare, Mrs. Dodds sent their way. Cassia turned back towards Percy to answer him, only to find him turning toward Nancy.

"Will you _shut up?_ "

Cassia cringed. That had definitely come out louder than he'd meant it to. " _Percy!_ " Cassia whisper scolded him.

"Did you have a comment, Mr. Jackson? Ms. Price?" Mr. Brunner had stopped his story and the entire class's eyes were on the two. Cassia's ears burned as she ducked her head.

"No, sir." The two responded at the same time, both mortified.

Mr. Brunner gestured to one of the pictures on the column. "Perhaps one of you will tell us what this picture represents?"

Cassia looked up to see him pointing toward a representation of Kronos eating his children. She opened her mouth to respond but Percy beat her to it.

"That's Kronos eating his kids, right?"

Cassia nodded in agreement.

"Yes," Mr. Brunner said. "And he did this because..."

Cassia jumped at the opportunity. "Because Kronos was the king titan. He didn't trust his children, the gods. So he ate them, but Rhea, his wife, hid Zeus away and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead." She paused, wondering if that was enough.

"Keep going," Mr. Brunner encouraged. Cassia looked towards Percy, unsure of what came next.

He gave her a nod and said, "When Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters--"

The sounds of eeew's chorded throughout the room but Cassia shushed them as Percy continued.

"--and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans and the gods won." Percy finished confidently and Cassia gave him a fist bump.

Giggles sounded throughout the students as Nancy gave her two cents on the situation. "Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.' "

"And why, Mr. Jackson," Mr. Brunner asked, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?"

"Busted," Grover mumbled with a smile. Cassia tried to cover her smile as Nancy glared at them.

Percy seemed to consider the question for a moment but shrugged. "I don't know, sir."

"I see," Mr. Brunner looked a bit disappointed. "Well, half credit, Mr. Jackson."

Cassia's hand shot up and a small smile made it's was onto Mr. Brunner's face. "Yes, Miss Price?"

"To answer your question, sir, I believe it matters because people learn from stories. They hold their own...wisdom of sorts, their own truths. By knowing more, we can...I don't know, be more prepared for life, I guess?" Cassia finished.

Mr. Brunner smiled at her, seeming a bit pleased with her answer. "Very good, Miss Price. Not exactly what I was looking for, but very good."

Cassia smiled to herself, accepting a thumbs up from Percy and a pat on the back from Grover. She tried to ignore the snickers and Nancy's snide comment about her being a know-it-all.

"Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine," Mr. Brunner continued, "which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"

The class drifted toward the front doors. Cassia, Grover, and Percy headed out last.

"Mr. Jackson." Percy froze, wincing slightly as he turned around. He motioned for Cassia and Grover to keep going and while Grover did, Cassia waited for him in the doorway.

After a few minutes, Percy made his way towards Cassia, an upset look on his face. "He wants to talk to you too."

Cassia nodded, "Thanks. I'll catch up with you and Grover. Are you alright?"

Percy nodded before continuing toward the doors leading outside.

Cassia pursed her lips before making her way back into the room full of artifacts to find Mr. Brunner sadly staring up at the grave marker. Cassia examined it with him, she wondered about the girl whose grave this was. 

"That was a very good answer you gave today, Miss Price." Mr. Brunner turned toward her in his chair giving her a long, analyzing look and pulling Cassia from her thoughts. "You're a very bright student. At least when it comes to my class."

Cassia smiled. Mr. Brunner's class was the only one she was passing at the moment, if only because she had a leg up with her love for history. She found things like English difficult because the words never made sense to her and she could never sit still in any of her other classes, but Mr. Brunner's active, hands-on approach had helped her more than she liked to admit.

"You must help him, Cassia. Percy, that is. I understand that the two of you are good friends and I think he truly benefits from that."

Cassia nodded, deflating slightly. He wanted to talk about Percy. He _always_ wanted to talk about Percy. Why couldn't they discuss her for once? She quickly scolded herself at the selfish thought. Why shouldn't she help Percy? He was her best friend after all.

"I think you are an extremely wise child and I believe that will help Percy in the times to come." Cassia's brows furrowed at this but simply nodded in acceptance. There was no use trying to question him or argue. 

Mr. Brunner finally smiled at her, "I won't keep you from your lunch any longer."

Cassia returned his smile, thanking him, before scurrying from the room to meet Percy and Grover on the steps of the museum whilst trying to stamp down the tiny bit of envy curling in her stomach.   
  
  


🔱  
  
  
  


Cassia munched on her green apple, eyes on the darkening sky. Percy and Grover chatted beside her on the steps but she didn't pay much attention to what they were saying. Thunder boomed but oddly, there was no sign of any lightning. She sighed, disappointed. Cassia loved storms, especially when lightning crackled and thunder echoed through the city, creating a symphony of disaster.

New York had had crazy weather as of late and, by the look of the storm brewing, it wouldn't be stopping anytime soon. Cassia threaded her fingers through her tangled blonde hair as she took another bite of her apple, thoughts straying to her mother's empty apartment only a few blocks away.

Cassia's mother, Alexandria, was a traveling journalist who wrote for her own website which meant she was rarely ever in the US. Last Cassia had received a letter her mother, Alexandria was backpacking through Northern Europe nearly two months ago. Not hearing from her mother for months on end was pretty normal for Cassia, though she did always look forward to the post cards she'd get in the mail on occasion.

This summer was going to be Cassia's first without seeing her mother at all. Alexandria's best friend, Kat, would be in charge of keeping an eye out for Cassia while her mother traveled as always. 

While this was extremely untraditional for most families, it was considered normal for the Prices. Ever since she was little, Kat had been taking care of Cassia and when Kat couldn't take care of her, she'd take care of herself. Whether that be while getting transferred from one boarding school to the next or at home in their modest apartment.

Cassia was actually looking forward to this summer. She suspected that she'd be spending most of it with Percy, who didn't live far from her. If she was lucky, maybe her mom would come home to surprise her and take her on one of her shorter trips. Maybe she'd even let Percy tag along! 

Cassia was startled from her thoughts as Nancy sidled up with her friends. She smiled sweetly, only to dump her half-eaten lunch in Grover's lap. "Oops," she grinned at the three preteens sitting on the museum steps.

Anger struck Cassia like a lightning bolt as she stood, she felt Percy stand beside her as well and, for a moment, all she saw was red. She was so _sick_ of Nancy's relentless bullying and the fact she'd _always_ got away with it. She didn't remember her or Percy touching Nancy but the next thing she knew, Nancy was screaming in the fountain, clothes soaked with water and hair frizzy. Had they pushed her?

Mrs. Dodds was there in seconds, grabbing both her and Percy by the arms. Kids were whispering amongst each other casting the two strange glances. "Now, honey--" Mrs. Dodds started, her grip like steel.

Cassia gasped at Mrs. Dodds's tight grip as Percy mumbled, "I know. A month erasing workbooks."

That hadn't been the right reaction and Mrs. Dodds was quickly dragging the two away from the scene.

"Wait!" Grover cried. "It was me. _I_ pushed her."

Cassia's jaw dropped and Percy's eyes widened. Grover was trying to cover for them even though Dodds scared him half to death.

She glared at him. "I don't think so, Mr. Underwood."

"But--" Grover started again.

"You-- _will_ \--stay--here."

Grover looked at the both of them desperately.

"It's okay, man," Percy told him. "Thanks for trying."

Cassia nodded. "It's alright, Grover. What's the worst she can do?" She joked, trying to lighten Grover's worried heart. This only enhanced the panicked look on her friend's face.

"Children. _Now_ ," Mrs. Dodds barked. She let go of them and quickly made her way up the stairs, gesturing for Cassia and Percy to follow.

Cassia began following her, hurriedly dragging Percy along. Mrs. Dodds led the two further into the museum, passing by the gift shop where Cassia had assumed she'd make her and Percy buy Nancy a new shirt. Apparently, this was not the case as she waited for them in the empty Greek and Roman gallery.

Cassia thought about Mr. Brunner on the steps of the museum and hoped that he'd seen them go in so that he could take on their punishment instead of Mrs. Dodds. The woman reminded Cassia of the monsters in the old stories Alexandria used to tell her when she was young. There was always a hero to defeat the monsters in the end. Cassia had the feeling, though, that there would be no one to save her and Percy now.

Mrs. Dodds literally growled as the two drew closer to her. "You've been causing us some problems, children."

Cassia glanced at Percy as he answered for them. "Yes, ma'am."

Mrs. Dodds tugged on the cuffs of her leather jacket. "Did you really think you would get away with it?" She gave them a look so harsh that Cassia could only describe as evil.

Cassia bowed her head, lips pursed and hands trembling. She always felt incredibly guilty when being scolded by a teacher. "We're really sorry, Mrs. Dodds. It's just that Nancy was--"

"We'll--we'll try harder, ma'am." Percy cut her off, but Cassia could tell by the tremor in his voice that he felt something was wrong with this situation.

Thunder boomed, shaking the building.

"We're not fools, Percy Jackson. It was only a matter of time before we found you and your little friend out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."

Cassia's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced toward Percy, whose look mirrored her own. Suffer? Pain?

"Well?" she demanded.

"Ma'am, we don't..." Cassia started.

She hissed at them both. "Your time is up."

What happened next was something out of a horror film. Mrs. Dodds' eyes began to glow with fire and leathery wings sprouted from her back. From her hands and feet grew long, sharp talons that looked like they could slice a person to ribbons. Mrs. Dodds bared her now sharp, yellowed teeth at Cassia who quickly yanked Percy back with her towards the doorway.

Then things got even weirder.

Mr. Brunner rolled in on his wheelchair holding a pen in one hand. "What ho, Percy!"

The monster lunged at the two. Cassia shoved herself and Percy out of the way. Mrs. Dodds was going to kill them!

Cassia looked up, only to be shocked to see Percy now holding Mr. Brunner's bronze, tournament day sword. She stood up next to him, eyes glued to Mrs. Dodds who snarled at them. Her fists clenched and she raised them in front of her. There was no way she was letting Mrs. Dodds eat her friend.

Mrs. Dodds bared her teeth once more. "Die, children." She flew straight at the two.

Fear shot through Cassia faster than she could think. She closed her eyes, let her body take charge and she shoved her hands forward as if to push Mrs. Dodds away before should could reach them. A hissing sound filled the room and Cassia opened her eyes to a cloud of yellow dust. Mrs. Dodds had _exploded_.

Percy stood beside Cassia, one hand clutching a ballpoint pen. Cassia glanced down to see her hands smoking and covered in black and yellow dust. Remnants of Mrs. Dodds?

"Percy, what--" Cassia looked around the room, completely numbed by shock. The two were alone. Mr. Brunner had disappeared as well.

"I--I--" Percy couldn't seem to find words. What the hell had just happened?

"Let's--let's head back outside." Cassia must've imagined it. There was no way that whatever had just happened had _actually_ just happened.

The two headed outside, still stunned to silence. As they passed Nancy, she taunted, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."

Cassia was taken aback. "Who?" Both she and Percy questioned.

"Our _teacher_. Duh!"

Cassia blinked. Nancy just rolled her eyes and stalked away. She turned to Percy giving him a 'what the heck is going on' look. He moved toward Grover and asked where Mrs. Dodds was.

Grover paused for a moment and didn't look at them. "Who?"

"Not funny, man," Percy replied. "This is serious."

"Come on, Grover. Stop messing around." Cassia tried to lighten her voice. Maybe it was all a joke?

Percy dragged Cassia over to Mr. Brunner who was seated in the exact same spot he'd been in before Mrs. Dodds had brought Cassia and Percy inside.

He looked up at Percy. "Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson. Ms. Price, what is all that on your hands?"

Cassia looked towards her hands which were still covered in the dust and then back up to Mr. Brunner. She quickly wiped them on her school skirt. "Uh--nothing, nothing, sir."

Percy handed over his pen. "Sir, where's Mrs. Dodds?"

Mr. Brunner's eyes strayed from Cassia's hands to stare at Percy blankly. "Who?"

"The other chaperone," Cassia interjected. "Mrs. Dodds. The pre-algebra teacher."

A frown grew on Mr. Brunner's face. "There is no Mrs. Dodds on this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you two feeling alright?"


	2. Chapter 2

Cassia swore she must've had some sort of a hallucination or something. If Percy hadn't been experiencing the same delusion, she was sure she'd have convinced herself that she had simply imagined Mrs. Dodds by now. Unfortunately, Percy was a constant reminder of whatever had happened to them.

The boy was constantly popping questions about Mrs. Dodds but to no avail. No one seemed to remember the evil hag that had been their pre-algebra teacher since Christmas. That is except for Cassia, of course.

Grover was acting strangely. Every time Percy asked about Mrs. Dodds, the kid seemed to have a bit of a spaz attack before claiming that he'd never heard of her. The whole situation was beginning to take a toll on their friendship. Percy was headstrong, determined to prove that Mrs. Dodds was real; Grover was skittish, always avoiding Percy's surprise questions; and Cassia? Well, Cassia was just confused.

Many nights she'd stayed up late surfing the internet for any sort of explanation as to what had happened. Unfortunately, all she'd come across were a couple sketchy websites and a wikipedia page on shapeshifters. She hoped that time would help her figure out whatever she and Percy had dealt with.

Time, however, was not helpful to Percy at all. As the end of the year drew closer, Percy became more and more agitated. His frustration was especially prominent one night they were studying for an upcoming test in Mr. Brunner's class.

"Come on, Percy. You know this one." Cassia gently tried to encourage him to remember the answer she was looking for.

Percy's fingers were threaded through his black hair, tugging harshly in frustration. After a few moments more of silence he grunted and picked up his greek mythology book only to hurl it across the room. "I'll never get it!"

Cassia sighed, understanding his frustration. It was always particularly hard for the two of them when it came to school. With both of them having ADHD and dyslexia, they'd thought that maybe studying together would work. Unfortunately, it almost always ended badly.

Percy took a calming breath and stood, picking up his book. "Come on. Let's go see if Mr. Brunner can help."

Cassia stood, slightly surprised by Percy's suggestion but followed him downstairs to the faculty offices nonetheless. Just as she was about to enter Mr. Brunner's office, Percy froze, grabbing Cassia and stopping her.

"What are you--"

"Shhh!" Percy quickly shushed her.

"...worried about Percy, sir." Cassia glanced over at Percy at the sound of Grover's voice. Percy was focused intently on listening to the conversation.

"...alone this summer." Cassia turned her attention back on the open door as well. "I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know it too--"

"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," Mr. Brunner interjected. "We need the boy to mature more."

"But he may not have time. The summer solstice deadline--"

"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."

"Sir, he saw her...they both did..."

"Their imaginations," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince them of that."

Grover paused for a moment. "What about Cassia though, sir? She's so much like...her. Their temperaments are so much alike. She even talks like her sometimes. I mean...that day at the museum with Nancy, the look her eyes was just so... _familiar_."

Mr. Brunner sighed. "It's not possible, Grover. There's no way he'd be able to hide another one for so long. I think Cassia just brings up old memories."

"Sir, I...I can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice trembled. "You know what that would mean."

Mr. Brunner answered kindly. "You haven't failed, Grover. I should have seen Mrs. Dodds for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy and Cassia alive until next fall--"

Percy dropped the mythology book in his hands and it hit the ground with a loud thud. Mr. Brunner and Grover went silent.

Cassia's eyes widened. "Percy!" she mouthed at him.

She quickly bent and snatched up the book before Percy grabbed her arm and pulled her down the hall. He yanked open the nearest door and pushed her inside, quickly shutting the door behind him as he shoved her deeper into the closet.

A _clop-clop-clop_ sounded outside the door as Cassia held her breath, afraid to move despite the broom sticking into her back. A loud sniff sounded from the other side of the door and a shape paused in front of the frosted glass before moving on.

"Nothing," Mr. Brunner's voice broke the silence in the hallway. "My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."

"Mine neither," Grover agreed. "But I could have sworn..."

"Go back to the dorm. You've got a long day of exams tomorrow," Mr. Brunner dismissed.

"Don't remind me."

The light coming from the hallway went out and Cassia let out a breath. She shoved Percy, who had been basically crushing her against the broom, off of her and rubbed her back.

"Did you see..." Percy trailed off. "I swear I saw a tall figure holding a longbow."

Cassia hummed in agreement. "Things are getting too wacky. Grover's keeping secrets...and with Mr. Brunner no less. And the part about keeping us alive--"

Percy only shook his head, he slipped out of the closet and Cassia followed him. "We'll figure it out tomorrow. And if not, we've got the whole summer to investigate."

A small smile formed on Cassia's face at the thought of summer. "That sounds like a plan to me." Cassia passed Percy's textbook back to him. "Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

"'Night," he called after her as she made her way down the hall to the girls' dormitory.

Cassia waved back at him but as she made her way up the stairs, she couldn't help but notice the sinking feeling in her stomach. Something was very, _very_ wrong with this situation.

🔱

The three-hour Latin exam the next day was absolute torture. Cassia had been up all night, unable to sleep, unable to study, and unable to quiet the hurricane of questions brewing in her mind.

Throughout the exam, Cassia had glanced at Grover and Percy so many times that Mr. Brunner had to remind her to keep her eyes on her own test. But, though she tried desperately, she'd been unable to focus on her own exam.

Percy had finished way before her but promised that he'd wait for her so that they could leave for the Greyhound together. Going back over her exam one last time, Cassia just circled random answers for the ones she hadn't been able to figure out and marched her way to the front of the room.

"Thank you, Ms. Price," Mr. Brunner said as Cassia handed her test in. She nodded and turned to leave the classroom but Mr. Brunner kept speaking. "I heard that you may not be attending Yancy in the fall. Same as Mr. Jackson."

Cassia looked up at him, nodding. Yancy had recently racked up its tuition price, leaving Cassia's mother to start looking for a more affordable boarding school in the city. "Yes, sir. Things are a bit up in the air for me at the moment."

Mr. Brunner hummed, scanning her face. "You've got great potential, Ms. Price. I hope that you will use that potential to help others, specifically your friends."

It didn't take a genius to tell that Mr. Brunner was talking about Percy once more. Cassia gritted her teeth and balled her fists. It was always Percy this and Percy that with Mr. Brunner. Cassia was beginning to tire of everything always being about Percy. Don't get her wrong, Percy was her best friend but she wanted someone to take interest in her for once. She was tired of sitting on the sidelines. "Of course, Mr. Brunner, because Percy is the center of the world."

Mr. Brunner's face fell, realizing his mistake. "Cassia, I only meant--"

"It's alright, sir. I know what you meant." With that Cassia turned and stomped out the door, letting it slam loudly behind her.

🔱

Cassia slammed the door to her room and flopped on her stripped bed with a huff. Fortunately, all the other girls were gone, allowing Cassia to brood in peace for a few moments. As her anger slowly began to leave her, Cassia cheeks pinked in shame. God had she always been this selfish? Or was it the rich kid attitude of Yancy rubbing off on her?

Cassia entertained the idea of returning to the classroom and apologizing to Mr. Brunner for her outburst, but the immense embarrassment she felt threw the thought from her mind almost immediately. If Cassia attended school here next year, she decided, then she'd apologize.

A knock on her door had her pulling herself up off the bed to answer it. Percy was probably getting impatient waiting for her.

Pulling the door open, she began, "Hey Perce, sorry I'm coming, I just--oh! Hey, Grover."

Cassia was slightly startled to see Grover standing before her, fiddling with his crutches.

"Hey, Cass. Can I come in?" Grover wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Um, yeah, sure. Of course." She scratched the back of her head awkwardly, before opening the door wider and gesturing for him to come in. It had been awkward between them since the day at the museum and now, after hearing his conversation with Mr. Brunner, it seemed to have just gotten worse. "What's up?"

"Oh, um. I was just--I just wanted to check in with you before we left for summer break and everything." Grover went from fiddling with his crutches to messing with his favorite Rasta cap. He was nervous about something.

Cassia turned away, lifting her large duffle bag up onto the bed and checking to make sure she had everything. "Yeah, uh--I mean, I'm a little nervous about spending the summer alone but I'm sure it'll be alright."

Grover sputtered behind her. "You're spending the summer alone?"

Cassia turned to see her best friend's eyes had gone wide with alarm. She swung her bag over her shoulder, clearing her throat. "Yeah, my mom's gonna be traveling over the summer so I'll be home alone. But, I mean, Kat will be keeping an eye on me."

This didn't seem to make Grover feel any better. His lips set in a firm line as if he'd decided something. He began fumbling with his jacket pocket before pulling out a small business card. "Well, here. This is for--well, just...just call me if you need me or get into trouble. Or--or if anything weird happens."

Cassia's brows furrowed as she took the card from his outstretched hand. "Weird? What do you mean weird?"

The information was written in swirling fancy script. Cassia could only just make out Grover's name, phone number, and an address for some place called Half-Blood Hill. Cassia looked up, awaiting Grover's answer with expectant eyes.

"Just anything like out of the ordinary." Grover's eyes looked everywhere except at her.

Cassia's throat suddenly became thick as she held back tears. He was hiding something from her. Something important and it frustrated the hell out of her. First with Mrs. Dodds, then with the conversation with Mr. Brunner, and now with this stupid 'call me if anything weird happens thing'. Cassia set her jaw, her frustration turning into annoyance and anger. "You mean call you if I spot any Kindly Ones?"

Grover's jaw hit the floor and his eyes went wide once more. "Wha--what did you say?"

That was the answer. Kindly Ones. Whatever was happening to her and Percy and all of Grover's secret keeping had to do with these Kindly Ones.

Cassia rolled her eyes, playing off her little revelation. "Nothing. Just forget about it."

Shoving the business card in her jeans pocket, she moved around him and headed for the stairs at the end of the hall.

"Cassia, wait!" Grover called after her.

Cassia just yanked her iPod and headphones from her bag, sticking them in her ears to block him out. If he was keeping secrets from her, _fine_. But if he was going to lie to her face and act like he didn't know exactly what was happening to her and Percy, then she wasn't going to put up with that.

Cassia jogged up the stairs, heading toward the front doors where Percy was waiting for her.

🔱

Cassia didn't have a chance to tell Percy much about her conversation with Grover before he'd caught up to her. Despite wanting to tell Percy more, turned out they'd all be sharing a cab to the Greyhound and then riding back into the city together. Great. Just great.

The cab ride to the station and most of the bus ride consisted of Cassia refusing to speak to Grover and listening to her music. About halfway through the bus ride, she began to feel guilty. This would be the last time she'd be seeing Grover all summer and perhaps for even longer; she should be saying goodbye and discussing summer plans, not ignoring him despite all the strange things going on lately.

Cassia took out her headphones and leaned across the aisle to get Grover's attention. The boy turned to her, an apologetic look covering his face. "Look, Grover, I'm sorry, it's just been so crazy lately with--well, with everything going on. But--but I just wish you knew that you didn't have to lie or keep things from me."

Grover opened his mouth to reply, but the bus driver slammed on his brakes as someone cut him off on the highway. His horn blared loudly as he shouted at the other driver, causing Grover to jump. His eyes flitted nervously around the bus, settling for only a few seconds on each passenger before moving onto the next just as he'd been doing for most of the ride.

Percy noticed this and Cassia watched as his temper flared. "Looking for Kindly Ones?"

Cassia winced as Grover looked back and forth between his two best friends. She glanced at Percy and nodded her head. 

"We heard you talking to Mr. Brunner about us," Cassia said, refusing to meet Grover's gaze.

Grover paled visibly and his left eye twitched. "How much did you guys hear?"

"Oh...not much. What's the summer solstice deadline?" Percy sassed, giving Grover a pointed look.

"Look, guys...I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers..."

Cassia threw her hands up in the air. "Oh, come _on_ , Grover! You know--"

He continued to talk, ignoring her outburst. "And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you both were overstressed or something, because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and..."

"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar," Percy deadpanned.

Grover's ears and neck turned a bright shade of pink as Cassia nodded in agreement. "He's right you know. You've never kept things from us before, I don't understand. Why now?"

Grover reached into his jacket pocket pulling out a copy of the business card he'd given Cassia. "Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer. Cassia's got one too."

Cassia sighed and leaned back in her seat at Grover's avoidance of their inquiries once more. Why couldn't he just be straight with them? Both she and Percy knew Grover was keeping something from them and there was no use lying, they'd find out eventually.

The boys continued to talk as Cassia stared out the window at the passing landscape. The sky was dark overhead, filled with the same grey clouds that had been hanging in the sky for months.

She was just about to fade into a slump of worrying if the weather would be cruddy all summer when grinding sound echoing under the floor pulled Cassia from her thoughts as the smell of farts and rotten eggs filled the bus. Cassia wrinkled her nose as the bus driver eased his way onto the side of the road before ordering everyone off the bus. Groans and sighs of exasperation filled the air as Cassia shot Grover and Percy a look. Just their luck.

The three of them filed off the bus along with everyone else into the summer heat. They'd stopped in pretty much the middle of nowhere, surrounded by open countryside and maple trees. Cassia had no problem simply plopping down on the side of the road with a huff as the boys stayed standing beside her.

Cassia's eyes traveled through the crowd of people waiting for the bus to be fixed when her eyes landed on an odd sight. Across the highway sat three old ladies, manning a fruit stand of some sort. Sweat slid down Cassia's temple as she eyed the delicious looking slices of watermelon and the jugs of cider in a tub full of ice. Gosh, she was hungry. The sight might not have been so odd if the ladies weren't knitting a huge pair of blue socks.

Cassia's brows furrowed and a confused but amused smile crossed her face as she watched the old ladies work. It was kinda cute; three old ladies, sisters maybe? or friends? Just spending some quality time together selling fruit and knitting socks that could probably only fit a giant. Weird, yeah, but amusing. Her smile dropped almost immediately though as the middle woman locked eyes with Cassia. A strange feeling filled the girl. Not fear exactly, more like apprehension. Like she was seeing something she shouldn't be.

Cassia broke eye contact with the old woman to see if Percy and Grover had noticed them as well. She stood and brushed off her jeans, nodding towards the old ladies. "Weird, huh?"

Cassia glanced at Percy, who held an uncomfortable but amused look on his face. "Yeah. Grover? Hey, man--"

Cassia's eyes traveled to Grover whose face was pale and sweaty. "Tell me they're not looking at you. Either of you. They aren't, are they?"

Cassia nodded. "Maybe they're looking for some customers?" Cassia looked both ways on the highway, making sure no cars were coming before starting forward.

Grover's hand latched onto Cassia's arm, stopping her from going any further.

"Yeah. Pretty weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?" Percy joked behind her.

She would've laugh had she not been focused once more on the middle old lady who withdrew a pair of silver and gold scissors.

"Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all." Grover's voice cracked and his grip tightened on Cassia's arm. "We're getting on the bus. Come on."

Percy began whining but Grover refused to listen. He dragged Cassia, who couldn't take her eyes off the old ladies, up onto the bus. As he pulled her back to her seat, Cassia's eyes stayed glued to the old ladies through the window. The middle lady's eyes followed Cassia through the bus windows while the other two's stay on Percy who lingered by the doors.

Cassia's brows furrowed and her head cocked to the side as a small smile grew on the old lady's face. She raised her scissors slowly. A loud snip echoed in her ears as the woman cut the yarn and...Cassia tripped, breaking whatever trance she'd been in.

Shaking her head slightly, she allowed Grover to help her up. She flexed her stinging hands and looked back over to where the ladies had been, only to find they'd vanished.

Finger's snapped in her face, bringing Cassia back to reality. "Hello, Cassia?"

Grover looked panicked, eyes flashing from the window's to Cassia's no doubt pale face. She was starting to feel faint.

"I'm alright." Cassia shook her head, trying to clear the fog in her mind. "Just tripped is all."

By the time the two made it back to their seats, the bus had roared back to life and people were filing back onto the bus. Cassia still felt slightly woozy and as her eyes settled on Percy, she could tell that he didn't feel much better.

He'd taken the empty seat next to Cassia this time, sitting quietly for a moment before leaning across her to get Grover's attention. "Grover?"

"Yeah?"

"What are you not telling us?"

Cassia looked at Grover expectantly but when Grover answered his question with another question, she sighed and shook her head for what felt like the billionth time today.

"What did you see back at the fruit stand?" Grover wiped his forehead on his shirt sleeve trying to clear off the sweat from his brow.

"You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man? They're not like...Mrs. Dodds, are they?" Percy's voice went quiet.

Cassia was already shaking her head, that didn't feel right to her. "No..I don't think they were like Mrs. Dodds. Were they, Grover?"

Judging by Grover's expression, those old ladies must've been much much worse. "Just tell me what you saw."

Percy and Cassia glanced at each other. "Well," Cassia started. "They were knitting these big blue socks. Like huge. And the middle one--the middle one she..." Cassia was having a hard time finishing her sentence. The snipping of the yarn, whatever it meant, wasn't good.

"The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn." Percy finished for her.

Grover closed his eyes. He made a gesture with his hand over his heart. Almost like he was crossing himself. The gesture was familiar to Cassia, she could've sworn she'd seen her mother do it before.

"You saw her snip the cord." It sounded more like a statement than a question but both Cassia and Percy nodded anyway.

"Yeah, so?" Percy seemed to be trying to play off his worry.

"This is not happening. I don't want this to be like last time." Grover chewed on his thumbnail, eyes flicking every which way.

"Last time?" Cassia questioned, her eyebrows furrowed. She laid a hand on his arm. "What do you mean, Grover?"

Grover shrugged her off. "Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth grade."

"Grover," Percy's voice shook. He sounded just as scared as Cassia felt. "What are you talking about?"

"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Both of you. Promise me." Grover's voice filled with urgency.

Percy and Cassia glanced at each other. "Yeah, of course," Cassia said but a part of her knew that the moment they landed in the station both she and Percy would want to get the hell out of dodge.

"Is this like a superstition or something?" Percy questioned.

Grover didn't answer.

Cassia whispered, "Is it--does it mean something bad?"

Percy inhaled sharply as if coming to a revelation. "Grover--that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean somebody is going to die?"

The look Grover gave her and Percy sent shivers down Cassia's spine. It was if he knew something horrible was going to happen to them, but he was powerless to do anything to stop it.


	3. Chapter 3

The second they got off the Greyhound, Grover sprinted for the restrooms, leaving Percy and Cassia standing alone by the bus. Percy frantically searched through the bags being unloaded and grabbed both of theirs before latching onto Cassia's arm and tugging her through the crowds.

"Percy, what're you--" Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to tug away from his grip.

"Come on. We're leaving." He didn't spare her a glance as he pulled her out onto a sidewalk and hailed down a taxi.

Cassia pursed her lips, she wanted to get out of there just as much as Percy but leaving Grover made her feel icky inside. "I don't know...maybe we shouldn't leave him."

Percy finally turned toward her and Cassia recognized the look in his eyes. It was the same one he'd had after their encounter with Mrs. Dodds. "Grover's acting really weird and I think we both just want to get ourselves home without any more strange, crazy stuff."

Cassia understood what he meant, but they'd still promised to wait for their friend. "But, still, I mean--"

"Look, after we both make it home we can call him and check on him tonight, but I think that we need to go home and try to process whatever the hell is going on." Percy frantically said, eyeing the crowds spilling out from the station. "Now are you coming, or not?"

Cassia glanced behind her once, searching the sea of faces for Grover's. When she couldn't find him, she turned back to Percy lips set in a line. "Alright. Let's go."

The two quickly piled into their shared taxi and headed home. 

🔱

After dropping Percy off and making him promise to call her tonight, the ride home was a bit less stressful. The driver dropped her off at her apartment building only a few blocks from Percy's and she headed inside.

Saying a quick hello to the superintendent, Cassia sprinted up the stairs and let herself into her mom's apartment on the third floor. A wave of relief hit her as she dropped her bag on the floor and inhaled the familiar strong, almost choking scent of her home.

Alexandria was a fanatic when it came to scented things. Scented candles, lotions, balms. Their apartment stank with the stuff and the smell never left Cassia's own clothing, even after months of being away from home. Cassia had never been a fan of all the frilly scented crap but she never complained. When her mom cared to come home, Cassia wanted to make sure everything was exactly how she left it, flowery scent and all.

Flicking on the lights, she surveyed the apartment. An inch of dust covered all of her mom's trinkets and the furniture. Ugh. She'd have a lot of cleaning to do.

Cassia took a few minutes to light the candles each room. It was definitely a fire hazard but Alexandria always insisted that when Cassia was home, the scented candles had to be lit.

Taking a seat at the kitchen table, Cassia fiddled with her mother's decorative bowl of colored glass. The quiet of the apartment descended and a heavy feeling settled over Cassia. A wave of loneliness crashed through her like waves breaking against rock. Hand squeezing around the glass pieces she held, she fought against the tears that pooled in her eyes and the incomplete feeling in her chest. 

Cassia hated to admit it, but she missed her mother. The woman Cassia called mom was not a mother in the traditional sense. Alexandria didn't care for Cassia in a nurturing sense, nor was she around to provide any type of encouragement or support but she was still her mom. Even though she often left that business for Kat, who, despite caring for Cassia in the best way she could, was not ready to be a parent. 

Frustration bubbled within Cassia as she thought of mother. Why couldn't she just be here? A mother was supposed to be there to greet her kid when they got home from school, to give them forehead kisses and make them turkey sandwiches with the crust cut off. To tuck them in at night and check that there were no monsters under the bed.

Alexandria didn't do this, she never had. When Cassia was young and would wake up in the middle of the night from a bad dream, her mother would not comfort her. When she was scared of monsters under the bed, her mother would tell her to be brave before turning out the light. She disappeared for weeks and months on end, leaving Cassia with Kat who was much too focused on having the time of her life to correctly care for a kid.

Just as she was about to get up and hurl that bowl against the wall and delight in the way her mother's little pieces of glass became rainbow dust, she deflated. She couldn't be angry with her mother. Not when she'd done her best to send her to the best schools in the state. Not when she took time to send her postcards from the far-off places she visited. Not when in the first few days she came home from a trip, she'd take Cassia out to ice cream, stroll around Central Park with her, and they'd laugh and laugh for hours on end. Those first few days were always a gift. 

No, she couldn't hate her mother. Even when she gave Cassia hope time and time again that she would stay, that things would be different only to dash that hope when the aloof Alexandria came back and she left once more. She couldn't hate her mother because she still had those moments, those moments of hope. No matter how few and far between they might be, they were still there and that was all that mattered to Cassia.

Cassia let the colorful glass pieces trickle through her fingers back into the bowl. The little teardrops of color clinking back into the bowl and settling as if they'd never been removed. 

Sighing and running her fingers through her blonde hair, Cassia pushed herself up from her seat ready to get to work on the dusty mess that was the Price apartment when the landline phone rang.

"Y-ello?" Cassia said, picking up the phone which was also covered in dust.

"Cassia? It's Percy."

Cassia smiled, happy to hear her friends voice despite saying goodbye to him only a little over an hour ago. "Hey, Perce. Get home, okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Yup," Cassia answered, popping the 'p'.

"So hey, my mom and I are heading to Montauk for a couple days." Percy sounded happier than she'd ever heard before.

"Really? That's awesome!" She forced herself to sound excited, though his mention of a trip only brought back thoughts of Cassia's mother. She brushed them quickly aside. Curling her fingers around the rubber wire of the telephone, she decided now was a good time to bring up Grover. "But hey, what about--"

"I'm sure he's fine." Percy interjected, picking up on what Cassia had been about to say. "He probably had his chauffeur pick him up or something."

Cassia hummed in unconvinced agreement.

"But hey, I figured, once I get back, we could call him and talk everything over. See if we can get a straight answer out of him."

Cassia nodded, glad they weren't just going to let this go. "That sounds perfect. Hey, have fun on your trip with your mom."

"Thanks!" Percy said, excitement filling his voice once more. "I'll see you when we get back."

"Sounds good. See ya, Percy."

"Bye, Cassia."

The line disconnected and Cassia set down the dusty phone with a sigh, surveying the apartment once more. "Time to get cleaning, I guess."

🔱

About three hours and two bottles of Clorox later, Ms. Kat Heffson knocked on the door.

Kat was the woman who took care of Cassia in her mother's absence. She was spunky, fun, and thirty years old but didn't look a day over twenty-one which always struck Cassia as odd.

Pulling open the door, Cassia was greeted by the familiar smile of her mom's kooky best friend. "Hey, kid. What's up?" Kat blew in, ruffling Cassia's hair, a backpack slung over her shoulder. 

Cassia smiled easily at the woman. "Hey, Kat. Long time no see." She eyed the backpack resting on Kat's shoulder. "Going somewhere?"

"We both are! I talked to your mom and we're gonna take a trip to Long Island. Grab your stuff 'cause we're leaving in twenty." 

Cassia laughed. "Funny, Kat. You know Mom doesn't like me leaving the city without her unless it's for school. She'd never let me go to Long Island with you."

Kat dropped her bag onto the table, shoulders tense. "Yeah well, she gave me permission this time." Though Kat tried to keep her voice light, Cassia could sense the edge in her tone. It was already dark anyway, why would they be leaving so late at night?

Cassia eyed the woman, watching the way her muscles tensed as she looked around the apartment. She was lying and she was nervous.

Cassia's eyebrows furrowed. "Something's wrong. Something's wrong and you're not telling me what it is."

A look crossed Kat's face and Cassia knew she was about to be told another lie.

Cassia cut her off before she could begin, desperation filling her voice. "No! Kat. Please. Please don't lie to me. There's been so many lies lately, I just—please."

Kat's tensed as she wrung her wrists, turning her back toward Cassia and rifling through her bag. "I can't—I can't tell you, kid. We just have to go alright."

Cassia's fists clenched at her sides. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me the truth. What is going on?"

Kat whirled around, fire blazing in her eyes. "Damnit, Cassia! You don't want to know!"

Startled at the woman's outburst, Cassia flinched but held her ground. Her voice was steel as she said, "Tell me now, Kat, or I swear to God, I'll call Mom."

A dangerous, fearful look flitted through Kat's eyes before her face fell slightly in defeat. "Look, kid. You can't call your mom, alright? She's not--she's not good for you right now."

Cassia shot Kat an incredulous look. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? She's my mom." Though she was adamant in this, a strange feeling settled in her stomach. Like she knew deep down that this was true but had no idea how.

Kat let out an exasperated sigh. "That's not important right now. The most important thing is that we need to get you to a place you'll be safe."

"Safe?" Cassia's voice squeaked lightly.

Kat nodded, her face dead serious. "But before we can do that, we have to make a pit stop."

"Pit stop?" Cassia questioned, still not able to wrap her mind around what the hell was going on.

"Grover called. Percy? Your friend from school? He's in trouble."

"I--how do you know about Grover and Percy?" Cassia's thoughts seemed to be flying around her head about a thousand miles a minute.

"Not important, kid," Kat said through gritted teeth. "But I'm telling you, if we don't leave now, it'll be too late for your friend."

Cassia's thoughts immediately strayed to the leathery bat wings of Mrs. Dodds and the almost ancient looking old lady snipping the yarn. Part of her was scared, if Percy was in trouble they should call the cops or something, not run off after him. There was no way they could help. But something told Cassia that wasn't true. Whatever was going on with her and Percy, it wasn't good and everyone seemed to know about it but her.

She had two options. Stay here, call the cops and hope that somebody, anybody believed her. Or go with Kat, make sure her friend was okay and maybe even find out why the hell everything had gone crazy all of a sudden. When she thought about it, there really wasn't much of a choice. Cassia nodded. "Alright, let me grab my stuff."

Fifteen minutes later, Cassia was drenched and shivering in the front seat of a white van that Cassia hadn't known Kat owned. A logo was painted across the side, advertising some type of strawberry farm on the Sound. "What's going on? Where are we going?" Cassia questioned. Rain poured down on the windshield, making Kat hunch forward and squint to see the road ahead of her.

Kat sighed. "Like I said before, I can't tell you much. All I know is that I'm supposed to meet Grover at a cabin in Montauk. Supposedly that's where your friend Percy is."

"You didn't answer me before. How do you know Grover?" Cassia was beginning to realize that everything must be connected. Kat somehow knew Grover. Percy was in danger. Mrs. Dodds and the fruit stand ladies. All of it was connected, but no matter how Cassia tried to tie it together, she couldn't see it or figure it out. "And what did you mean when you said Mom isn't good for me right now?"

Kat let out a grunt. "Look. Your mom...she isn't safe for you right now. She's got mixed up in some bad stuff with some bad people. She's alright but...I've watched her go down this path for the past thirteen years and, though I love her, I'm not letting her turn you into her own little tool. As for everything else, I'm sure they'll tell you everything once you get to camp."

"What is that supposed to mean? And camp? What camp?"

Kat groaned. It was when she was frustrated that Kat reminded Cassia of a teenager. She had always been so full of an odd youth for her older age. "Cassia. I can't tell ya, alright? You'll know eventually, I promise. Try to get some sleep. It's gonna be a long drive and probably an even longer night."

Cassia huffed and turned on her side. Everyone always had to keep everything from her and she had no idea why. Despite wanting to stay up and question Kat some more, her eyes grew heavy as she was lulled to sleep by the sound of rain and thunder.

🔱

When Cassia was pulled from the fog of sleep, the car had stopped but shook as the wind howled against the windows. A pounding on her window threw her grogginess from her completely. Cassia shakily unlocked the door and shoved it open, only to find Grover before her, his Rasta cap soaking wet and furry legs dripping with water. Furry legs?

Cassia's jaw dropped as she stared, she couldn't bring herself to look away as Kat appeared next to her and wrenched her out of the car.

"Go," Kat said. "Get him. I'll see if I can lead it away." Kat took Grover's shoulders and held him tightly for a moment. "Just stick together, okay? You'll be fine. Focus on getting them to camp."

With that, Kat turned toward Cassia, tugging her a few feet away from Grover and lowering her voice. "Look kid, when you get to camp, you try to blend in as best you can. Don't make trouble and don't draw attention to yourself. And if your mom...if your mom tries to contact you, whatever you do, Cassia, do not trust her. 

Cassia opened her mouth to question the woman who's played a big part in raising her but Kat cut her off. "Stick with Grover, alright? Do exactly what he says, don't question him. I'm going to buy you some time." 

Kat turned quickly, launching herself back in the car and driving off. Cassia called after Kat, ready to beg on her hands and knees for some real answers when a mighty roar tore through the air and Cassia's heart dropped to her stomach. That wasn't thunder.

"Grover. Grover, what is going on? Please, just--" Cassia turned back to her best friend, eyes glancing from his furry legs and hooves to his face.

Grover gripped her arm. "No time to explain. We have to get Percy." He tugged her quickly up a sandy path toward a ramshackle cabin with no lights on. Grover pounded on the door. "Percy! Mrs. Jackson!"

The door was yanked open and a beautiful woman in a nightgown stood before them, Percy hung back a few steps behind her. Mrs. Jackson then.

"Searching all night. What were you thinking?" Grover gasped out.

Mrs. Jackson turned towards Percy, how looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Percy. What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?" She could barely be heard over the rain.

"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" Grover cursed in Ancient Greek. "It's right behind us! Didn't you tell her?"

Cassia felt like she was going to barf. Nothing made sense, she was freezing, she had somehow just understood exactly what Grover said in Ancient Greek, and above all, she was scared. So scared. Another roar tore through the night. "Uh—Grover...something's coming!"

"Percy. Tell me now!" Mrs. Jackson did not look happy.

Percy sputtered out something about Mrs. Dodds attacking him and Cassia and the ladies at the fruit stand.

Mrs. Jackson whirled around, eyes finally settling on Cassia, her face pale as milk. "Get in the car. All of you. Go!" She grabbed her keys tossing Percy his jacket and passing one to Cassia as well as she ushered the three of them out the door to the Camaro parked a few hundred feet away.

Cassia spared a glance behind them to find a large horned shadow looming over the cabin before she was shoved in the backseat of the car.


	4. Chapter 4

Mrs. Jackson must've had a firm grasp on the term 'pedal to the medal' because their car zoomed down the country roads going at least 90. How they weren't hydroplaning, Cassia had no idea but she was a little preoccupied with the fact that her life had gone from pretty normal to something out of a Marvel comic. All she knew at the moment was she and Percy were in danger and wherever they were headed, they'd be safe.

"So, you and my mom..." Percy started, breaking the tense silence, "know each other?"

Grover's eyes flitted to the rearview mirror and he kept turning in his seat the glance behind them, even though they'd temporarily lost whatever had been chasing them. "Not exactly. I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."

"Watching me?"

"Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay," Grover answered.

Percy turned on Cassia, voice laced with hurt. "What about you? Were you watching me?"

"No!" Cassia cried indignantly. "Everything that happened to you happened to me too! And you know I've been just as confused as you are!"

Grover nodded. "Cassia didn't know. It was my job to keep tabs on both of you. Make sure that no one came after you. But I wasn't faking being your friend! I am your friend."

"What about my mom?" Cassia interrupted. "And Kat? Well, Kat obviously knows you but what about my mom?"

"Kat used to go to camp, so did your mom, Cass. That's how I knew about you. They've been keeping you away, but Kat knew you were getting too old, too different."

"Different? What do you mean too different? I'm not the one with the legs of a barnyard animal!" The stress of the situation was beginning to get to Cassia.

"Yeah, um...what are you, exactly?" Percy interjected.

"That doesn't matter right now," Grover dismissed.

"Uh uh. No way, no more secrets," Cassia shook her head at Grover. She was tired of the secrets.

"It doesn't matter?" Percy cried. "From the waist down, our best friend is a donkey--"

Grover bleated at that. He actually bleated. "Goat!"

"What?" 

"I'm a goat from the waist down."

Cassia threw her hands up in the air. 

"You just said it didn't matter," Percy deadpanned.

"Blaa~ha~ha! There are satyrs who would trample you underfoot for such an insult!"

Cassia shook her head and said with an unamused voice, "I couldn't see you trampling anyone, Grover."

"Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like...Mr. Brunner's myths?"

Cassia rolled her eyes. "They're not just Mr. Brunner's myths, they're..." Cassia froze, eyes darting to Grover as she realized exactly what she'd just been about to say. They're Greek myths. 

Grover sent the two of them a grim look. "Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a myth, Percy? Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?"

"So you admit there was a Mrs. Dodds!" Percy cried triumphantly.

"Not the point," Cassia whispered, still trying to process what she discovered. Monsters from Greek myths were hunting her and Percy, following them. Thinking back to all the strange and unexplainable things that had happened in Cassia life, she realized she'd been haunted by these monsters all her life. The one-eyed man on the subway last year, the scaly green women that used to watch her on the playground where Kat took her as a little girl. 

"Of course," Grover admitted.

"Then why--" Percy began to question.

"The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract. It was hard enough protecting both you and Cassia, adding you beginning to find out to the mix only made it worse. So we put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd both think the Kindly One was a hallucination. But it was no good. You both started to realize who you are."

"Who we--wait a minute, what do you mean?"

What did he mean? Cassia thought. What was so important about them? 

Another roar bellowed behind them, shattering any thoughts Cassia had and overwhelming her with fear. Cassia turned in middle seat and tried to get a look at what was chasing them but saw nothing but mist and rain.

"Percy," Mrs. Jackson spoke, "there's too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you both to safety."

"Safety from what? Who's after us?" Percy asked.

"Oh, nobody much. Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions," Grover sassed, probably still upset about Percy's donkey comment.

"Grover!" Mrs. Jackson scolded.

"Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?"

"The Lord of the Dead?" Cassia questioned. "You mean Ha--"

Grover slapped a hand over Cassia's mouth. "Don't say his name. Names have power."

Cassia shook him off. "Why would he want us? We're normal kids!" Cassia cried. "We haven't done anything wrong."

A strange look crossed Grover's face and he glanced away from her.

"Wait a minute. Have we, Grover? Have we done something wrong?" Cassia grabbed his arm trying to get him to look at her.

"I don't know, okay?" Grover answered quietly. "I don't--I don't know."

Cassia's breath caught in her throat. Spots danced across her vision as she fought to inhale a breath. She felt as though she'd just been stabbed in her right lung.

Mrs. Jackson met Cassia's eyes through the rearview mirror and a heartbroken look crossed her face. "Cassia, is it?"

Cassia nodded, hands wrapped around her sides. Percy's hand found Cassia's and he squeezed tightly, trying to take her mind off of whatever was going through her head.

"It's gonna be okay, sweetheart. I promise. We're gonna get you and Percy to safety. Nothing is going to happen to you, okay? I promise."

Cassia nodded once more, breath coming a bit easier as Mrs. Jackson spoke softly and kindly. She squeezed Percy's hand back once though her hands still trembled and her heart beat wildly.

"Where are we going?" Percy questioned as he let go.

"The summer camp I told you about. The place your father wanted to send you." Mrs. Jackson made a hard left turn, speeding past farmhouses and strawberry farm signs.

"The place you didn't want me to go." It was more of a statement than a question.

Mrs. Jackson's voice turned pleading. "Please dear. This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in danger."

"Because some old ladies cut some yarn," Percy deadpanned.

"Percy," Cassia said, recalling the story of the three Fates. "Don't you remember Mr. Brunner's stories? The three old ladies who cut the yarn. They decide your fate."

Grover nodded. "Those weren't old ladies. Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means--the fact they appeared in front of you? In front of both of you? They only do that when you're about to...when someone's about to die."

"Whoa. You said 'you.'" Percy had caught on to the wording just as Cassia had.

"We're gonna die?" Cassia questioned, chest tight once more.

"No! No, I said 'someone.'" Grover seemed more like he was trying to convince himself.

"You meant 'you.' As in us." Percy's voice turned frantic.

"I meant you, like 'someone.' Not you, you."

"Boys!" Mrs. Jackson scolded.

"Hold on. The Fates. They normally don't appear to more than one person at a time in the stories. But they appeared to both of us." Cassia motioned between her and Percy. "What does that mean? And why'd they appear to us if it's not one of us that's going to die?"

Grover looked at a lost for words. "I honestly have no idea. Maybe it means...I don't know."

"No, say what you were going to say," Cassia prompted him to finish.

"I don't know. It might mean that your fates are intertwined. I'm really not sure."

Cassia sat back in her seat, sending a helpless glance toward Percy. Her whole world had just been flipped on its axis and she had no idea how she felt about it. She remembered nights as a kid, wishing on stars for something interesting, anything interesting, to happen to her, anything to take her away from the life she lived. She'd always had a fascination with history and old myths and stories. Whether that be Cleopatra or King Arthur, the influence and idea of going on an adventure had been a dream for her for a very long time. 

Her mother used to scoff at her when she told her what she wished for every time she blew out her birthday candles. 'I want to go on an adventure, Mama!' she used to say as she paraded around the house with a cape and a wooden sword. Her mother would only shake her head, 'Trust me, Cassandra. Your time will come.' It had been an oddly ominous thing to say to a child of four, but Cassia was beginning to understand what her mother meant.

The car swerved to the right as Mrs. Jackson tried to avoid something that had been standing in the road. Cassia gripped her seatbelt tightly, grateful she'd had the sense to strap in before they got too far. 

"What was that?" Percy's eyes followed a dark shape outside the window before it disappeared into the night.

Mrs. Jackson ignored her son's question. "We're almost there. Another mile. Please. Please. Please."

Cassia didn't know who Mrs. Jackson was pleading to, a higher power maybe? Cassia had never been a religious girl but she found herself squeezing her eyes tight and sending a prayer to whatever higher power existed. Please. Please. Keep us safe. Let us make it through this.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of Cassia's neck rose and her eyes snapped open. "Lightning," she whispered and the car exploded.

The car skidded sideways into a ditch as adrenaline flooded Cassia. She felt as if she'd been running on low battery all night and just gotten hit with a supercharge.

"Ow," Percy groaned beside her. His head had smacked into the seat in front of him, luckily there was no blood.

"Percy!" Mrs. Jackson shouted, she sounded frantic. Cassia felt panicked but it was controlled now, easier to manage. She felt as if she could take on anything.

"I'm okay," Percy answered.

A groan sounded on Cassia's other side. Grover! Cassia pushed her friend back in the seat to get a good look at him. Blood leaked from the side of his mouth where he'd cut his lip, otherwise he looked alright.

Cassia paused only a moment to assess their situation. Grover was injured, knocked out. Percy dazed and Mrs. Jackson alert in the front seat. The driver's side doors were stuck against the muddy wall of the ditch and there was a smoking hole in the top of the car. 

"Percy," Mrs. Jackson spoke up again, "we have too..." She trailed off, eyes focusing on something through the back window. 

Cassia turned, eyes catching sight of the largest man she'd even seen. At least ten feet tall and wider than three linebackers, but the bull horns sprouting from his temples assured Cassia that the creature was anything but a man.

"Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god."

"Who is--" Percy swallowed hard.

"Get out of the car," Mrs. Jackson's voice was as serious as death.

Cassia spurred into action, climbing over Grover to thrust open the passenger side door. She glanced back seeing Percy still struggling with the driver's side door exchanging a fast paced conversation with his mother. "Percy!" Cassia shouted over the rain.

"We don't have time, Percy. Go. Please," Mrs. Jackson pleaded.

Percy's face filled with anger. "We're going together. Come on, Mom."

"I told you--"

"Mom! I'm not leaving you. Help us with Grover."

Cassia let out a relieved breath as Percy helped her unbuckle Grover and all him out of the car. When Grover was safely in Percy's arms, Cassia moved to the front passenger side door and yanked it open to help Mrs. Jackson out. 

After she was safely out of the car, Cassia turned back slinging one of Grover's arms over her shoulder as Percy got his other and then they were running. Cassia followed Mrs. Jackson's lead towards a large pine tree resting on the top of a hill. Cassia spared only a single glance behind her to get a look at the monster chasing after them. 

Cassia now got a good look at the bull horns sprouting from his head only to realize that it wasn't just his horns that were like a bull's. The creature's entire head was that of a bull's with dark matted fur and eyes that looked as though they wanted to see you suffer in the most painful way possible. It only took her a moment to realize that this wasn't just any bullman.

Percy must've done the same because he said, "That's--"

"Pasiphae's son," Mrs. Jackson answered. "I wish I'd known how badly they want to kill you."

"But he's the Min--"

Mrs. Jackson cut her son off, repeating the same phrase Grover had said to Cassia only minutes ago. "Don't say his name. Names have power." She ushered them along faster. "Come on. We've got to get to the tree. Get to the tree and you'll be safe."

Grover shifted and groaned on Cassia's shoulder. "Foooood?"

Cassia adjusted his arm. "Sorry bud, no food right now. Survive this and I'll buy you the biggest enchilada you've ever seen," Cassia mumbled.

Percy shushed her before turning his head back towards his mom. They still had a good hundred yards or so up the steep hill before they got to that damn pine tree. "Mom, what's he doing? Doesn't he see us?"

Cassia grunted as Grover shifted once more. His hooves dragged against the sopping grass, slowing Cassia and Percy down by loads.

"His sight and hearing are terrible," Mrs. Jackson replied. "He goes by smell. But he'll figure out where we are soon enough."

"Reassuring," Cassia croaked quietly as they began trekking up the hill. The mud made it difficult for her to keep her footing but Cassia wouldn't let this stop her. They had to get to the tree.

The Minotaur let out a rage-filled roar, Cassia glanced behind her only to see the monster pick up Mrs. Jackson's Camaro over its head only to slam it back down on the ground. The dark night was suddenly filled with a blaze of fiery light as the gas tank exploded.

"When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way--directly sideways. He can't change direction very well when he's charging. Do you both understand?" Mrs. Jackson looked between her and Percy. 

"How do you know all of this?" Percy questioned, completely bewildered.

Cassia wondered as well. Though she could see the fear in Mrs. Jackson's eyes, the woman's jaw was set in determination. It gave Cassia hope. They'd get out of this. They had to.

"I've been worried about an attack for a long time," Mrs. Jackson said to her son. "I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me."

A thought struck Cassia. Was that why her mother was always traveling and never around? Cassia hadn't spent more than a month in her mom's presence in...well, in years.

"Keeping me near you? But--" Percy's voice was filled with anguish.

The Minotaur bellowed once again and began climbing the hill, heading straight for their group of four. Cassia stumbled, nearly losing her grip on her best friend. The tree was only a few more yards ahead. Almost there.

Mrs. Jackson slid her arm between Cassia and Grover, taking Grover's weight from her trembling shoulders. "Go! Separate! Remember what I said."

Percy sprinted to the left, leaving his mother to carry Grover. Cassia hesitated for only a moment before following after him. Would Mrs. Jackson be able to handle Grover by herself?

Percy skidded to a stop causing Cassia to almost slam into him. The Minotaur was closing in lowering his pointed horns towards them. Percy twitched beside her.

"Hold," Cassia said to him. The Minotaur charged and right before he bulldozed them Cassia shouted, "Now!"

She and Percy launched themselves in separate directions. But Cassia hadn't leapt far enough and the Minotaur's swinging arm caught her in the temple, knocking her off her feet.

She was dazed for a moment lying flat on her back, warm liquid sliding down the side of her face so unlike the frigid rain. Cassia shook her head, trying to rid herself of the ringing in her ears and pushed herself up. The sight before her filled her with horror. The monster had Mrs. Jackson in his grip and just as he began to squeeze her throat, she disappeared in a blinding golden flash.

"No!" Percy's scream got Cassia to her feet. 

She suddenly felt goosebumps along her arms and legs as her skin crackled with energy. Bullman was launched backwards through the air as the wind blew fiercely and the rain fell even harder. Had she done that? 

Unfortunately, that didn't keep him down. When he stood once more, the rage in his hateful eyes only seemed to intensify as they settled on her. The Minotaur swiped his foot on the ground, getting ready to charge straight for her. Cassia wasn't sure she had the energy to jump out of the way again. Her head was throbbing.

"Hey! Hey, stupid! Ground beef!" Percy stood between Cassia and the pine tree waving his red raincoat looking like a matador. There was a good twenty feet separating them. 

The monster turned its attention toward Percy but it was already charging toward Cassia. Its roar this time was the loudest Cassia had heard. 

Cassia didn't know what possessed her to do it, maybe instinct, but she ran straight for the charging beast and at the last moment slid through its legs, feet first softball style. How she wasn't trampled underfoot, Cassia wasn't sure but she picked herself up and turned back to the monster who now stood between her and Percy.

Bullman didn't waste a moment before correcting his path and charging right at Percy. Cassia's heart nearly stopped as Percy launched himself into the air, kicking off the monster's head to land on its thick neck. He somehow managed to hold on as the Minotaur slammed its head into the pine tree. The monster stumbled a moment before raising its arms to try to swat Percy off. 

"Hey! Big and Ugly!" Cassia screamed toward the monster, trying to get his attention away from the clinging Percy holding tightly to the one of its horns. Bullman turned toward her. "Yeah, that's right, you!"

The Minotaur didn't seem to appreciate being called big and ugly and started to charge right for her only to be yanked back as Percy gave a harsh tug on one of its horns. Snap! 

Cassia flinched as the Minotaur roared in pain, flinging Percy from its back. "Percy!" Her friend had landed harshly on his back, head smacking into a rock.

Time seemed to slow as the bull charged toward Percy. The tug in Cassia's gut returned and the Minotaur had to fight against the raging winds pushing against him. Percy pushed himself to his knees, pointed side of the horn thrust towards the charging monster. A blinding flash filled the night as lightning struck once more. When Cassia managed to blink the spots from her eyes, she saw the Minotaur disintegrate into yellow dust, just as Mrs. Dodds had.

There was a beat of silence before Cassia was rushing over to Percy. "Oh my god. Oh my god."

Percy swayed as he tried to stand and Cassia caught his arm, slinging it over her shoulder. The two of them stumbled over to Grover who moaned as Cassia lifted his arm onto her unoccupied shoulder. The mud made her slip and slide, the journey taking twice as long as it should have as the three of them stumbled past the tree and down the valley toward the farmhouse. Silent tears streamed down Cassia's face as Percy mumbled about his mom.

The rain had finally stopped by the time they made it to the farmhouse's front door. Cassia sat Grover and Percy down before she pounded on the door. She swayed as it swung open to reveal a girl whose hair was as blonde as Cassia's. 

"Hi," Cassia managed to say, before she fell forward and passed out in the girl's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

The first time Cassia woke up she was alone. Laying on a bed in a dark room with a soft blanket draped over her legs and a fluffy pillow supporting her head. She managed to push herself up into a sitting position and glanced to her left at a passed out Percy. This little action seemed to be too much for her throbbing head as a wave of dizziness hit her and darkness claimed her once more.

The second time Cassia woke up, the blonde girl leaned over her. An odd expression on her face. "Who are you?" she questioned. 

"I'm Cassia."

"Cassia." The blonde girl said, testing how her odd name rolled off her tongue. She stared down a Cassia with a strange expression. There was something in her eyes. A mixture of suspicion and...recognition. "What do you know about the summer solstice? You arrived with him," her chin jutted toward Percy, sound asleep on Cassia's left. "He's the one, isn't he?"

"I'm sorry, I don't underst--" A sharp pain flared in Cassia's temple, her eyelids fluttered and she let sleep take her once more.

Before Cassia woke for the third time, her subconscious mind was filled with odd and terrifying dreams. She was surrounded by darkness and cold. She turned every which way but didn't take a step in any direction, afraid, for an unknown reason, that she would fall. 

An ancient voice spoke in her dream making her freeze. "They don't even know who you are. You will be such a wonderful champion, my dear. So powerful, so much strength. It is at your fingertips. You only need to reach out and grasp it." A force wrapped around Cassia's middle and flung her deeper into the darkness.

Cassia woke up with a jolt in unfamiliar surroundings. She was sitting in a rocking chair, a blanket lay over her lap and a pillow behind her back. Sunshine warmed her skin as she looked toward Percy who was asleep in the chair across from her. She reached a hand out to wake him but thought better of it. He needed as much rest as he could get after what they went through. What they went through. Her hand trembled slightly as she withdrew it from Percy's arm.

Clenching her fists to stop the shaking, Cassia pushed herself up from the chair and scanned her surroundings. There were rolling green hills in the distance, a grouping of cabins and the air smelled of strawberries and summertime. Where was she?

Flashes from the night they arrived ruined the beautiful view. Pounding on the farmhouse door, praying for someone to answer. The Minotaur. Large, stinking, and heart stoppingly terrifying. The warm blood running down the side of her face, mixing with the freezing rain that had seemed to pour harder with every beat of Cassia's frantic heart. The explosion of Mrs. Jackson's car. 

Mrs. Jackson. Percy's mom. Gone, just like that. Cassia pressed a hand to her stomach, she was going to be sick.

"Cass?" 

Cassia whirled around only to find Grover standing a few feet away from her. The horrific thoughts momentarily forgotten, she launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Oh thank god, you're alright."

Grover sniffled as he hugged her right back. "Me?" He cried. "You and Percy were the ones all beaten and bloody. It's all my fault."

Cassia shook her head. "No, no, Grover. It's not your fault." 

Grover continued tearfully. "You wouldn't say that if you knew...never mind."

Cassia pulled away, forcing a smile for Grover and trying so hard to pretend everything was fine. "Um hey, where are we?" Cassia finally noticed his bright orange shirt, the words 'Camp Half-Blood' printed in large letters across the front.

Grover opened his mouth to reply but his eyes focused behind her. "Careful," he said.

Cassia's eyebrows furrowed as she turned to find Percy reaching for a glass of something that looked like apple juice. His sea green eyes had dark purple smudges under them and his hair looked a tad bit like a hedgehog. "Percy," Cassia breathed, his name coming from her like a sigh of relief. 

"You--You saved my life," Grover said suddenly. "Both of you. I...well, the least I could do...I went back to the hill. I thought you might want this." Grover picked up a box from the side table and placed it in Percy's lap.

Cassia peered inside the box as Percy opened it. A horn sat inside. One end jagged and cylindrical, the other pointed to a tip and covered in dried blood. The Minotaur's horn.

"The Minotaur," Percy said, voice unreadable.

"Um, Percy, it isn't a good idea--" Grover started.

"That's what they call him in the Greek myths, isn't it?" Percy demanded, sea green eyes stormy. "The Minotaur. Half man, half bull."

"How is this possible? How did anything of this--I mean--" Cassia still couldn't believe the events that had occurred. They'd been chased and almost killed by a monster. A myth.

Grover shifted beside Cassia, avoiding her bewildered gaze. "You've been out for two days. How much do you remember?"

"My mom. Is she really..."

Grover looked down and Percy's face fell.

Cassia winced. Sorrow hung in the air like a thick fog, suffocating Cassia as she fought to take in breaths. 

"I'm sorry. I'm a failure. I'm--I'm the worst satyr in the world," Grover sniffled loudly. Grover stomped his foot and his Converse shoe fell off. "Oh Styx!"

Cassia stared at Grover's foot, his cloven hoof. Thunder rumbled overhead as Grover worked to get his shoe back on his...hoof. 

"It wasn't your fault," Percy spoke up. His voice was strained, as if he was holding back tears. 

"He's right, Grover. What happened wasn't...wasn't any of our faults."

"It was my fault, though. I was supposed to protect you," Grover moaned.

"Did my mother ask you to protect me?" Percy questioned.

"No," Grover admitted. "But that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least...I was."

"But why..." Percy trailed off, his face suddenly looking a little green.

"Don't strain yourself. Here." Grover moved for the glass Percy had set back down on the table but Cassia beat him to it.

Cassia lifted the straw to Percy's lips, holding it for him as he drank. When he finished the glass, he instantly looked better. The natural color returned to his face and the purple smudges under his eyes disappeared. Cassia shakily set the glass back down on the table.

"Was it good?" Grover asked, sounding almost jealous.

A guilty look crossed Percy's face. "Sorry. I should've let you taste."

"No!" Grover cried. "I just...wondered."

"Chocolate chip cookies. My mom's. Homemade," Percy replied.

"How do you feel?" Cassia asked him. She was having a hard time processing all of this, even after everything she'd seen. Her head throbbed mercilessly.

"Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred yards."

Cassia snorted, rolling her eyes. No matter what happened, he was still Percy.

"That's good," Grover said, as if trying to convince himself. He nodded, smiling almost hesitantly. "That's good. I don't think you could risk drinking any more of the stuff."

"What do you mean?" Cassia and Percy asked simultaneously. 

Grover didn't answer. He glanced between the two before gesturing around the porch. "Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."

🔱

Cassia trailed behind Percy and Grover across the wraparound porch. As they walked to the back of the house, Cassia heard her friend's breath catch. He gazed out at the land before them, eyes flitting from the glittering sea, to the cabins, to the Greek architecture Cassia hadn't noticed before. 

She turned toward her friend, a knowing smile on her face. "I know, right?"

Percy only shook his head incredulously. Cassia's eyes jumped towards the kids peppered throughout the landscape, all of them wearing bright orange t-shirts. What was this place? Some kind of camp for kids with strange interactions with monsters and evil bat women?

As their trio approached the end of the porch, they came upon two men sitting at a card table and the pretty blonde girl who'd answered the door at their arrival. One of the men was pot-bellied and small. He had a red nose and curly black hair. He kind of looked like a cherub when Cassia thought about it. 

"That's Mr. D. He's the camp director," Grover informed. "Be polite. The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, but she's been here longer than just about anybody. And you already know Chiron..."

The other man came into full view. He rested in a wheelchair and had the same tweed jacket and kind eyes Cassia remembered. 

"Mr. Brunner!" While Percy exclamation was one of surprise and relief, Cassia's was one of question.

The man's smile instantly soothed Cassia's worries. "Ah, good, Percy. Cassia. Now we have four for pinochle." He gestured to the two open chairs on either side of him.

Cassia lowered herself into her seat and glanced to the pot-bellied man beside her who eyed her with disinterest. 

"Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you." The man's tone made Cassia feel as if she was a major inconvenience to him. This sparked a bit of frustration and anger in Cassia. She was confused and scared and no doubt this man could tell by the look on her face, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to care.

"Thank you, sir," Cassia said politely through gritted teeth as Percy mumbled out a thanks as well.

"Oh, I like this one," Mr. D said, gesturing toward Cassia. "Very respectful." 

Cassia caught a whiff of his breath. It smelled strongly of bitter fruit and wine. Cassia's mother used to love the stuff. She'd always have a glass or two when she came home to visit.

"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner called. The blonde girl, Annabeth, came forward. "This young lady nursed you both back to health. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on their bunks? We'll be putting Cassia and Percy in cabin eleven for now."

"Sure, Chiron," Annabeth answered.

The girl was seriously pretty. Blonde hair and startling and intimidating grey eyes that Cassia envied to no end. She was thin and athletic with a deep tan. Cassia supposed they looked a bit alike, if it wasn't for Cassia's deep blue eyes. Annabeth narrowed her eyes at Cassia before turning her gaze toward Percy. Something strange flared in Cassia as she watched her look Percy up and down but it was immediately stamped out as Annabeth said to him, "You drool when you sleep." She sprinted off in the direction of the cabins.

Cassia snorted loudly, eyes flitting to Percy who looked less than amused.

"So. You, uh, work here, Mr. Brunner?" Percy seemed anxious to change the subject but Cassia would never let the boy live this down. She'd tease him mercilessly. Lovingly as well, of course, but mercilessly.

"Not Mr. Brunner. I'm afraid that was a pseudonym. You may call me Chiron," the not Mr. Brunner now Chiron said. Chiron. The name struck a chord with Cassia as she remembered her studies. 

Cassia cleared her throat. "Chiron, as in..."

Chiron gave her a kind smile. "The very one," he said.

Cassia stared at the man, completely bewildered. How could her history teacher possibly be the fabled trainer of some of the greatest mythical heroes of all time?

"Okay," Percy said, obviously confused but he pressed on. "And Mr. D...does that stand for something?"

Mr. D stopped shuffling the cards in front of him. "Young man, names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason."

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

"I must say," Chiron interjected, "I'm glad to see you two alive. It's been a long time since I've made a house call to potential campers. I'd hate to think I've wasted my time."

"House call?" Cassia's eyebrows furrowed. 

"My year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you both. We have satyrs at most schools, of course, keeping a lookout. But Grover alerted me as soon as he met you, Percy. He sensed you were something special. And Cassia, your mother and Katherine knew me for quite some time ago but fortunately Kat alerted me of your whereabouts and this year was...special so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other Latin teacher to...ah, take a leave of absence."

Cassia couldn't recall there ever being a Latin teacher before Mr. Brunner. The interesting thing that struck her was Cassia's mother and Kat knowing Chiron. Her brows furrowed. "Hold on a minute. My mother and Kat, they know you?"

Chiron's gaze focused fully on Cassia for the first time throughout the whole conversation. He gave her a strange smile, something stuck between sympathy and fondness. "Yes. Both of them were campers here when they were around your age. They stayed here almost every summer until...well, until your mother became pregnant with you, Cassia. The two of them didn't come back after that. I honestly haven't heard from either of them in years until Katherine reached out to me. It was...quite peculiar."

A strange look passed over Chiron's face as he became lost in a memory. Cassia tallied up the years in her head. Her mother had become pregnant with Cassia at 19, leaving her to have spent nearly 10 summers here. Cassia looked around her with new eyes. Her mother rarely talked about her past. She had no brothers or sisters to speak of and as far as Cassia new, both of her mother's parents were dead. There'd only ever been Kat. Kat.

"Oh my god! Kat!" Cassia shot up in her seat, moving away from the table. She didn't know where she was going. The last she'd seen of Kat, she'd been driving away in her van. She'd promised to...she'd promised to buy them time to get away from the Minotaur. 

Percy and Grover both called out to her but Cassia ignored them as she made her way back to the front of the porch with the side facing the pine tree standing like a sentinel on top of the large hill. How could she have forgotten about Kat? The woman who'd basically raised her. The woman who was there for every birthday, scraped knee, and parent teacher meeting when her mother wasn't in town. The woman who'd comforted her when her mother would act strangely and harshly, whispering about a cloaked woman and sleeping eyes.

A heavy weight dropped in Cassia's gut as acid burned at the back of her throat. She could be hurt, or worse... Cassia shook her head, she didn't want to think about that. She'd walk along the road until she found Kat's van. Or maybe Kat was fine and had already driven back to the apartment. It couldn't be too hard to find a payphone somewhere around this place and call a cab, right? Cassia harshly shoved a hand through her hair, trying to figure out her plan when fingers closed around her arm. 

Chiron sat in his wheelchair, only a few feet from Cassia, looking up at her earnestly. Cassia almost broke at the look, the stress and fear from the events a couple days ago finally getting to her. "I--I have to find her. Kat. She said she was going to give us time and then she drove off and I haven't--I haven't--"

"Cassia. Hush now, child." Chiron spoke softly and kindly. "She called last night. She's back in the city safe and sound."

A weight lifted from Cassia's shoulders as a sigh of relief left her. Cassia rubbed away the tears that had been building in her eyes. She'd never been one to cry so easily but this was all just so...it was crazy.

"There is something, though."

An uneasiness had filled Chiron's voice and Cassia looked back at him in alarm. What else could there possibly be?

"She--"

"Hey, Chiron! Mr. D said you were back here, I was just wondering--oh! I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were with one of the new campers."

Cassia looked up from her teacher to find quite possibly the cutest boy she'd ever seen holding a grease stained cloth in one hand and a wrench in the other. Cassia's face flamed as his eyes landed on her, a large friendly smile gracing his face. 

The unease slipped from Chiron's face as he wheeled his chair around towards the boy. "Quite alright, Jake," he said with a forced smile. "I was actually just going to find you to see if you could take Cassia here on a tour of the Camp!"

From the way Chiron said it, he definitely hadn't been about to do just that. The boy, Jake, and Cassia met eyes over the man's head, Cassia's eyes darted back down to her tattered Nike's. She tried not to let herself be swept away by embarrassment at the boy almost catching her crying.

"Of course! I'd be happy to! I was also wondering if Cabin 9 could trade archery lessons today for more forge time? Beckendorf sent me to ask. He's busy working on a project with Marge." Jake's eyes had drifted to Cassia. He looked her up and down as if searching for something he couldn't quite see yet.

Chiron nodded his head and waved his hand, though he seemed to be focused on something else at the moment. "Yes, yes. Of course." 

The grease covered boy seemed shocked by this as a large smile overtook his face once more. "Really? Awesome!"

Jake's enthusiasm seemed to finally shake Chiron from his thoughts. "I expect to see you all on time for dinner though!"

Nodding quickly that large smile still present, Jake turned away with a bounce in his step.

"Jake!" Chiron called, amusement permeating his tone. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Jake froze, slowly turning back towards them, a sheepish smile now gracing his features. "Right!" His eyes traveled to Cassia's, a hand extended beckoning her forward. "You ready?"

Cassia glanced toward Chiron, cheeks red and hands shaky.

He nodded to her with a smile. "Go on, Cassia. I'll come by later to drop Percy off."

Uneasiness filled her at the thought of being separated from Percy and Grover but Jake's warm smile was inviting as well as comforting. "All right. Thank you."

Cassia followed Jake down the stairs once more, passing Grover and Percy who looked at her with concern. She gave them a smile and a small wave each before following Jake across the green grass.

The two of them walked silently side by side for a few moments before Jake cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "So...the Minotaur, huh? That's quite the way to arrive to camp. With the Minotaur at your heels."

Flashes from the encounter with the Minotaur only a few nights ago entered Cassia's mind. Her palms began to sweat. "Um, yeah...I guess."

Jake tapped his wrench against his leg, scrunching his eyebrows together. "Sorry. You probably don't wanna talk about that. Uh, I'm Jake, by the way. Jake Mason."

Cassia laughed slightly at his awkwardness but she was grateful that he'd picked up on her nervousness. "It's alright. I'm Cassia Price."

Jake's toothy smile returned. "Nice to meet you, Cassia Price."

Flashing a quick smile of her own, Cassia questioned, "So are you like the camp handyman here or something?" She gestured to the wrench clenched in his hand. 

"Oh uh, I guess you could say that," Jake answered with a laugh. "My siblings and I do all the repairs here so we find a way to earn our keep."

Cassia smiled at the joke. It was nice to be able to talk lightheartedly after the craziness that clouded her past week. "How many siblings do you have? I'm an only child so I've never had the sibling experience."

Jake smiled like he knew something she didn't. "I have nine siblings and don't worry, I'm sure you won't be an only child for long."

Cassia sputtered. "Nine siblings?" She almost didn't catch the last part of what he'd said. "Wait, what do you mean I won't be an only child for long?"

Jake's smile faded a bit. "Chiron didn't show you the orientation video, did he?"

Cassia shook her head. "No, sorry. He didn't mention it."

"Yeah, I guess he wouldn't have considering the way you came to camp." Jake gazed out onto the strawberry fields, blowing out a long breath. "This will probably come as a bit of a shock but just know we all went through the same thing when we first got here. We were all scared and confused and some of us didn't believe at first but eventually it begins to make sense."

"What begins to make sense?" Cassia questioned.

Jake flipped the wrench between his fingers and chew on his lip, his face screwed into a thoughtful expression as if trying to figure out what to say next. His eyes lit up as he turned toward her fulling, halting them in the middle of the camp. "Haven't you ever felt different? Like your whole life you've been waiting for something to happen but you just didn't know what?"

Cassia's gaze settled on Jake's face, he could see her answer there which spurred him to continue.

"What about trouble in school? Or odd things happening? People following you or maybe even trying to hurt you? Do you have ADHD? Dyslexia?"

"How did you know about that?" Everything Jake was describing fit almost perfectly in her life. She'd had odd occurrences since she was a kid of people following her and even recently with Mrs. Dodds. There'd been times when Kat would rouse Cassia in the middle of the night during the summer claiming her mother had called and they were going on an impromptu vacation. They'd leave the city for a few days, spending a couple nights in different hotels and whenever they returned her mother would be home, only to leave again in a few days.

"It's because we all have it. We've all had it happen to us," Jake explained breathlessly.

"And who's us?"

"The campers here. We all possess these traits because of what we are. We're demigods."

"Whoa, hold on. Wait a sec. Demigods...as in?"

"Half greek god, half mortal."

Cassia took a step back, pushing her hair from her face, hands on her temples. "That's...that's impossible." But the more Cassia tried to deny it, the more it seemed to make sense. The surprise vacations could've been from possible monster attacks. The people who tended to follow her wherever she went. Mrs. Dodds.

"You're getting it now, aren't you? You're one of us, Cassia. You're a demigod. Half god, half mortal."


	6. Chapter 6

After the initial shock, Cassia was proud to say she was doing a little better. Not a lot, but a little. Baby steps, she thought to herself. 

Jake was great at answering her questions. Even when she'd ask something two or three times, he'd answer patiently and with a smile after each one. He'd also given her a full in-depth tour of the entire camp. She'd now seen the stables, the armory, the dining pavilion, the amphitheater, the arena where they held sword fights which sounded totally awesome if not slightly scary and so much more. How they managed to keep a fully running camp all of demigods without a billion monsters finding them? She wasn't quite sure but the feat was incredible in itself.

They'd just come from the archery ranges when Jake smiled his beaming grin and announced, "Now this is the best part. Each of the cabins were built by the children of Hephaestus when the camp was first established and, not to brag, but my siblings did some pretty fine work."

Cassia nodded, processing the information. "Is that your dad then? Hephaestus?"

Jake nodded, a proud gleam in his eye. "Yup! God of forges, fire, and blacksmiths. Guess you can see why we're the camp's handymen and women, huh?" He flipped his wrench up in the air, catching it with a flourish. "And who knows? Maybe he's your dad too! You said your mom's a mortal right?"

"Yeah, she--" A thought stopped Cassia dead in her tracks. Her mom used to go to camp here with Kat. That meant... "No, actually. Chiron said my mom used to go to camp here."

Jake's eyes widened a substantial amount. "You're a legacy then!"

"I'm a what?" Cassia furrowed her brows at the unfamiliar term.

"A legacy. Yeah, um, it's like when you already have godly blood in you ancestry before your parents. It's not totally unheard of but it's normally a few generations back." Jake looked at Cassia with a lopsided smile. "That's kind of cool actually."

"Thanks," Cassia mumbled. She felt her cheeks warm as she ran a hand through her hair. She suddenly found herself hoping that Hephaestus wasn't her dad. 

Jake nodded at her, smile still gracing his face. "Anyway, onward with the tour!" He pointed his wrench like a sword toward the grouping of cabins.

As they grew closer, Cassia felt her breath leave her. The cabins were...magnificent. Beautiful in architecture and decoration. There were twelve of them total.

"So, as you can see, there are twelve cabins in all. One for each of the twelve Olympians. Not all of them are occupied, though."

"Why's that?" Cassia asked in awe as she stared up at a cabin covered in flowers with a roof of grass.

"Well, the Artemis cabin usually doesn't house anyone because Artemis is a virgin goddess. The Hunters stay there when they visit though."

"Hunters?" Cassia questioned absentmindedly as her eyes caught on a beautiful cabin made of grey stone, coral, and seashells. They continued down the line of cabins.

Jake only waved his hand as if it wasn't important. "There's cabin number two, which is for Hera. It's mostly out of respect seeing as she'd never have kids with anyone other than Zeus. And then there's cabins one and three. Those...well, those probably won't be occupied ever again."

"Why not?" Cassia looked away from Jake to where they'd come to a stop before the largest cabin of them all. It was completely made of white marble with columns on either side of the bronze doors that shimmered in the sunlight. Lightning bolts were carved elegantly into the metal and Cassia swore she heard thunder as she took a step closer.

Jake rested a hand on Cassia's shoulder, stopping her from reaching for the bronze handle. "Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades took an oath a long time ago vowing to never have demigod children again. They were too powerful, too dangerous."

As Cassia stared up at Cabin One, a strange thought crossed her mind. In the stories, gods tended to break oaths on occasion. "Have they ever broken the oath?" She turned back to look at Jake whose expression had gone dark.

"Only once."

Cassia wanted to press the subject, but she could tell Jake didn't want to talk about it so she let it be. "Have you ever met one before?"

"One what?" Jake turned to her with a confused look.

"A god."

Jake's smile returned in full force as he snorted. "Yeah, I have. And so have you."

"I have?" This was news to Cassia. She tried to think of anyone she'd met who had a godly presence about them but could think of none.

"Good 'ol Mr. D. Our favorite camp director," Jake answered, a bit sarcastically.

Cassia's jaw dropped. "Mr. D?" She thought back to the pot bellied man who'd begrudgingly welcomed her to Camp Half-Blood.

"Yup! Dionysus in the flesh." 

Understanding must've worked its way across Cassia's features because Jake let out a laugh. "I know," he said. "Not quite what you'd expect but he's not bad. We don't get to see him a lot. Chiron's in charge of us all for the most part."

"Makes sense." Cassia nodded. He was after all  _ The _ Chiron. The one who'd trained countless heroes...and seen countless heroes die.

Jake's eyes focused on something behind Cassia. "There's Percy and Annabeth. Why don't we head on over and get you settled in Cabin Eleven?"

"Sounds great," Cassia answered. Despite having a good time with Jake, Cassia was grateful to see a familiar face.

As the two approached, Annabeth turned toward them, grey eyes sliding over Cassia in an analyzing manner. Cassia suddenly felt like a bug under a microscope.

"Just in time," Annabeth said, turning toward the cabin in front of them. "You just missed Chiron though."

Cabin Eleven was probably the most run down out of all the cabins. The brown paint of the cabin was peeling and the caduceus over the door hung slightly crooked.

"Hey, I have to go catch up with the rest of my cabin. I'll see you at dinner, alright?" Jake motioned back the way they came.

"Sure thing," Cassia answered with a nod, her face heating slightly. "Thank you, Jake."

Jake threw her one last goofy smile before bounding off, wrench twirling in his hand once more.

Cassia turned back towards Percy and Annabeth, ready to brave the campers of Cabin Eleven. Catching the expressions on their faces as they looked from her to a retreating Jake, Cassia asked, "What?"

Annabeth simply rolled her eyes, turning toward the cabin's doors.

Cassia looked towards Percy who looked at her with raised eyebrows. "What?" Cassia repeated.

"Your face is bright red," Percy deadpanned, moving to follow Annabeth into the cabin.

Cassia sputtered for a moment, eyes wide in denial. "It is not!" But Percy had already entered through the doorway, leaving Cassia to press her cool hands against her red cheeks, sigh, and follow after the two.

**🔱**

The inside of the cabin was  _ packed _ . Boys and girls of all ages sat together in groups atop bunks and sleeping bags that littered the floor. All eyes immediately turned to the trio as they entered. Cassia did her best not to shrink back and forced her shoulders straight and held her head high. She knew when meeting a large group of people it was best to appear confident and unbothered by the stares. As eyes flickered back and forth between her and Percy, Cassia flashed a small smile while discretely wiping her sweaty hands on her jeans.

"Well, go on." Annabeth motioned them forward into the cabin. 

Naturally, Percy moved forward first, trying to seem confident as well only to trip on the door frame. 

Cassia was quick to grab his forearm and steady Percy as she entered the room behind him. She glanced sideways at him to make sure he was alright only for him to shake her off as he straightened. She tried not to let it bother her, she was sure he just didn't want to seem weak or clumsy in front of the other campers.

"Percy Jackson. Cassia Price. Meet cabin eleven." Annabeth introduced them to the crowd of kids.

"Regular or undetermined?" a kid shouted from the back.

Cassia's eyebrows furrowed as she looked to Annabeth who answered, "Undetermined."

Everybody in the room groaned and grumbled as they began turning away from her and Percy. Cassia's confident smile slipped off her face. Obviously, undetermined kids weren't wanted. Whatever that meant.

A guy with sandy hair and a long scar on his right cheek who looked to be in his late teens stepped up with a welcoming smile. "Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for. Welcome, you two. There are a couple spots on the floor over there for you guys." He nodded to a corner of the room, looking slightly apologetic at the small space Cassia and Percy would have to share.

Cassia turned back to the guy, plastering a grateful smile on her face. "Thanks."

"This is Luke," Annabeth piped up. Her voice sounded slightly breathy and without even looking, Cassia knew the girl's face had turned red. Annabeth definitely had a crush on this Luke guy. "He's your counselor for now," Annabeth said, her voice a bit stronger this time.

"For now?" Percy questioned looking between Luke and Annabeth.

"You're undetermined," Luke explained. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."

Cassia's eyes scanned the kids in the cabin once more, picking out the kids who looked most like Luke and labelling them as children of Hermes. That still left at least another fifteen to twenty kids who were undetermined. There were so  _ many _ . The gods sure had been busy these past couple years.

"How long will we be here?" Cassia questioned, eyes settling back on Luke and trying not to let her eyes gravitate towards the white scar on his face. The teen was pretty handsome. Tall and muscular. He kind of had a surfer dude vibe to him with the leather sandals and the leather necklace full of colorful clay beads.

"Good question," Luke said. "Until you're determined."

"How long will that take?" Percy asked, almost impatient.

Laughs sounded throughout the room and Cassia winced, Percy was taking all the laughs today it seemed.

"Come on," Annabeth said, saving Percy from the laughter of the Hermes cabin. "I'll show you the volleyball court."

"I've already seen it," Percy protested but Annabeth already had him by the wrist and was dragging him out the door.

Cassia hesitated, unsure of whether or not she should follow. She was so unsure about everything here. The campers all seemed to have it totally together. They appeared unbothered by the flying pegasi and the various weapons each camper carried. Would she ever get used to it all? Get used to being a demigod? Didn't being a demigod mean she had to be a hero? She'd always wanted to be a hero but the question now was whether or not she could actually be one.

A hand fell on Cassia's shoulder startling her from her slightly frantic thoughts. Cassia looked up only to find Luke looking down at her with a small sympathetic smile.

"You  _ will _ get used to it, you know. All of this." He waved his hand, gesturing to the cabin and the camp that lay beyond. "We each make a way for ourselves here."

Cassia nodded but she was still unsure. "Isn't it dangerous, though? I mean, just a few days ago I was a normal kid with an absentee mom. Now I've been thrust into this world of gods and monsters. Now I'm the daughter of an actual god and I'm destined to be chased by monsters for the rest of my life?"

Luke simply shook his head. "We look out for each other here. We're a family, all the kids at camp. We've all gone through the same thing and we're always going to help each other and make decisions that are best for all of us. You'll be protected from the monsters here.  _ We _ will protect you." A shadow suddenly fell over Luke's face, "And besides, in a world of gods and monsters, it's not usually the monsters you have to worry about."

Cassia chewed on her lip as she looked out the open doors of the cabin to where Percy and Annabeth had stopped to talk. She still felt as though she were teetering on the edge of a cliff, only seconds away from the wind changing direction and sending her toppling over the side in a never ending free fall. She had to do something, something to root herself to the ground and keep her from going over the edge. She had more to look out for than just herself, she had to look out for Percy now too. They'd entered this world together and she refused to lose him like he'd lost his mother to the Minotaur.

Luke cleared his throat, taking his hand from Cassia's shoulder and motioning towards Percy and Annabeth. "Why don't you go catch up with them? Annabeth will bring you back here before dinner."

Cassia nodded, eyes focusing on the two demigods. They were demigods now, not just people. She moved forward through the doorway before turning back. "Thanks, Luke."

Luke nodded with a smile and sent her on her way. 

As Cassia slowly made her way over to Percy and Annabeth who seemed to be in the middle of a heated conversation, a strange feeling washed over her. Like the peacefulness of the camp, the smell of strawberries and summer within the air, was just the calm before the storm. Cassia shook off the feeling, jogging the rest of the way towards Annabeth and her friend who looked as if he were about to hurl.

"You alright, Perce?" Cassia placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention away from Annabeth and towards her.

Percy's eyes flicked up to her, filled with uncertainty and distress. He opened his mouth to answer her but was cut off by a brusk voice shouting across the lawn.

"Well! A newbie!"

Cassia stepped forward to get a better look at whoever was approaching their little trio. A large girl with frizzy brown hair marched toward them, three other girls trailed behind her, each of them wearing matching camp jackets. Cassia was struck with the odd thought of an army version of the Pink Ladies from Grease but quickly disregarded the thought. These girls were no Pink Ladies. 

The large girl's face lit up in a kind of savage delight as she caught sight of Cassia, now unobscured by Percy. "Well, lookie here girls! Not one newbie, but two!"

Annabeth looked towards the sky, muttering something about the gods having mercy on her. She sighed, looking towards the girls as they came to a stop in front of their little group. "Clarisse. Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"

"Sure, Ms. Princess," the big girl, Clarisse replied. "So I can run you through with it on Friday night."

This seemed to fire Annabeth up. " _ Erre es korakas! _ " Annabeth shouted. Cassia was taken aback for a moment as she realized she could understand the words.  _ Go to the crows. " _ You don't stand a chance," Annabeth continued. 

"We'll pulverize you," Clarisse growled out, pushing a finger into Annabeth's chest. Clarisse was intimidating to say the least but Annabeth didn't seem the least bit scared. Clarisse turned sharply toward Cassia and Percy, who had been watching the argument like it was a tennis match. "Who're these little runts?"

Cassia frowned at this, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Annabeth cleared her throat. "Percy Jackson, Cassia Price. Meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares." 

"No way!" Cassia's annoyance was almost immediately forgotten as her jaw dropped in awe. While reading about the Greek Gods in Mr. Brunner's class, Ares had always seemed like a total savage to Cassia. She could only imagine how good these girls were at fighting.

Clarisse looked at Cassia's awe appreciatively, perking up a bit. 

"Like...the war god?" Percy questioned hesitantly. 

Clarisse rounded on Percy, sneering in his face. "You got a problem with that?"

Cassia's mouth snapped shut and her frown returned at the girl's blatant rudeness. 

"No," Percy sassed. Cassia winced at his tone, she knew exactly what was coming. "It explains the bad smell," he finished. 

Cassia's eyes widened. "Percy!"

"We've got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy," Clarisse growled. 

"Percy," he deadpanned in reply. 

A small smile worked its way onto Cassia's lips, Percy was...well, he could just be awesome sometimes.

"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you."

"Clarisse--" The warning tone in Annabeth's voice made Cassia nervous. Clarisse wouldn't actually hurt Percy would she?

"Stay out of it, wise girl."

Annabeth kept her mouth closed and accepted Percy's Minotaur horn. 

Her friend raised his fists to fight the girl almost twice his size. While Percy could be awesome at times, he could also be dumber than a doornail.

"Percy, hold on a second--Hey!"

Clarisse had Percy in a headlock in seconds and began dragging him away. 

Cassia looked towards Annabeth, hoping she would do something but Cassia could tell by the look on her face, the girl had decided this wasn't her fight. 

Running after the group of cackling girls and a struggling Percy, Cassia huffed. She normally didn't like physical fighting but it wasn't the first time Percy had gotten her into a situation like this. 

As one of the girls stopped to open the door to the girls bathroom, Cassia launched herself at Clarisse only to be swept up by the two other girls. Cassia fought harshly, managing to free one of her arms and elbow the shorter of the two girls in the nose.

Clarisse only laughed at her sister. "I like you, Price. You've got spunk. It's too bad your friend here doesn't know how to respect his betters."

Cassia and Percy were dragged inside the bathroom, and forced into stalls next two each other. The girl holding Cassia had a vice-like grip and arms thicker than Cassia's thighs but this didn't stop Cassia from planting her feet on the toilet bowl and trying to push herself away from it. She refused to get a freaking swirly her first day in a new place. The girl simply grunted as she twisted Cassia's arms behind her in a way that made her cry out and her knees buckle.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" The stall on Cassia's right rattled as Percy put up a fight of his own.

Clarisse simply scoffed. "Like he's 'Big Three' material. Yeah, right. The Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking."

Red hot anger flared in Cassia as the Ares girl behind her laughed while pushing Cassia's head toward the toilet. The lights flickered overhead and suddenly, the toilet exploded. 

The next few seconds went by in a blur. The water seemed to have a mind of its own as the showers and toilets all exploded, blasting Clarisse and all her buddies out of the bathroom and leaving Cassia soaked in toilet bowl water. She fought not to hurl as she spat water out of her mouth and pulled herself off the ground and out of the stall only to find Annabeth soaked to the bone and Percy sitting in the only dry spot in the whole bathroom.

Cassia set her jaw, looking down at her soaked t-shirt and water-laden shoes. "Percy, I'm gonna kill--"

Annabeth cut her off. "How did you..."

Percy stood slowly on shaky legs and Cassia's anger dissipated as she watched her friend struggle to stand. "I don't know," he choked out. 

The trio made their way out of the girls restroom to find Clarisse and her friends face down in the mud and a group of campers staring at the scene in incredulity. 

Clarisse raised a finger, pointing menacingly at Percy. "You are dead, new boy. You are totally dead."

Percy simply scoffed. "You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Close your mouth."

Clarisse's friends tried to hold her back, only for the group of them to slip and fall in the mud. 

Cassia glanced back at the bathroom, eyes catching on something odd.

"What? What are you thinking?" Percy demanded at Annabeth. 

After a moment she answered, "I'm thinking that I want you on my team for capture the flag."

Cassia might've congratulated Percy if not for the fact that she was too busy watching the smoking light fixtures that had somehow managed to blow out during the chaos. 

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

When Cassia caught up with Percy and Annabeth, she saw that the former had disappeared in the time it took her to shower and change into the dry clothes Annabeth had lent her and find her way to the pier where she'd agreed to meet them. Why Annabeth refused to wait for her to change? Cassia didn't know but something told her that Annabeth had wanted time to talk to Percy alone. Which further added to suspicions she'd had about Percy and his importance at the camp.

Cassia picked her way down the hill onto the wooden dock, still soaked shoes squelching with each step. She approached Annabeth slowly, trying to figure out exactly what to say to the girl who didn't seem to like her too much. She paused for a moment, watching the girl as she traced her finger along the railing. 

"You know, if you're trying to sneak up on me, you'll have to do a lot better than that," Annabeth deadpanned without turning around. 

Cassia clenched her jaw and strode forward, not caring how loud of a sound her soggy sneakers made. "I wasn't trying to sneak up on you," she defended. 

Annabeth glanced at her sideways giving her an unconvinced look as Cassia same to a stop next to her. "Sure."

Cassia opened her mouth once more to defend herself but instead snapped it shut, she'd get nowhere if she kept arguing with the girl. 

The two were quiet for a few moments staring at the ripples created by unknown creatures beneath the surface of the lake, when Annabeth spoke up. "Percy headed back to Cabin Eleven, you know. There's no need for you to sit out here and waste time."

Ignoring the part about her wasting time, Cassia cleared her throat. "I figured but I wanted to talk to you. Alone."

Annabeth turned toward her, one eyebrow raised. "You wanted to talk to me," she repeated. "Alone."

Cassia grit her teeth. "Yes."

The blonde haired girl squinted her startling grey eyes at Cassia, as if trying to figure out what her game was. "Alright, what did you want to talk to me about?" She turned back toward the lake, seeming to only give Cassia half of her attention. 

Tracing the wooden railing with the tips of her fingers but with eyes still on the blonde girl to her right, she said, "It's about Percy. He's special, isn't he?"

Annabeth's head snapped back to Cassia, grey eyes focused on her once more. Well that definitely got her attention. "Why do you say that?"

Cassia shook her head, brows furrowed. "Clarisse said something about Percy being 'Big Three material' earlier. And the night we got here, when you were taking care of me and Percy, you asked if he was 'the one'. And..."

"What?" Annabeth stared at her with wide eyes now. 

"The way Grover and Mr. Bru--I mean, Chiron, the way they look at Percy sometimes, it's almost like they're...waiting for something." Cassia shook her head. "I don't know, maybe it's stupid but Percy seems different, more different than most of the kids around here at least. I want to know what that means, what it all means. He's my best friend which means he's my responsibility and I'm not going to let anything happen to him."

Cassia looked back at Annabeth, jaw clenched and eyes stormy as if challenging her to say something that would hurt her friend. 

A look of respect flashed across Annabeth's eyes before she sighed and slumped against the railing, looking defeated. "I don't know much but you're right. There is something special about Percy. I got a prophecy a few years ago, from the oracle we have here at camp. It basically said I won't go on a quest until someone important comes along. And with everything going on..."

"Wait, wait. Hold on a minute. You have an oracle here? What are quests? And what do you mean with everything going on?" 

Annabeth sighed. "Sorry, sometimes I forget you're a newbie."

While Cassia was slightly confused at what she meant, she simply brushed it off and listened intently as the girl explained the camp oracle and how it correlated with going on a quest. 

"So, you thought that Percy was the one who was going to get you a quest?"

Annabeth nodded. "Something's been going on with the gods lately. The weather has been totally weird, almost like the gods have been fighting. All I know is that something important was stolen, something really important. And if it isn't found by the summer solstice, well..."

"Let me guess, a world ending fight between the gods?" Cassia questioned. 

Annabeth winced. "Pretty much."

Cassia huffed. "Well that's great. So what're we gonna do?"

Annabeth's brows drew together. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you have a plan, right? Jake mentioned you were a child of Athena and Athena always has a strategy, doesn't she?" Cassia reasoned. 

Something like excitement and surprise sparked in Annabeth's eyes. "You know, you're not as bad as I thought." 

Cassia laughed slightly. "What's up with that anyway?"

The small smile that had started to form on Annabeth's face dropped away. "You remind me of someone I used to know."

Cassia opened her mouth to ask the girl about it when a horn blew in the distance. 

Annabeth sharply turned away. "That's dinner. Come on, we don't want to be late."

Cassia looked around her to find that the sun had set and night had descended upon the camp. A howl in the woods made Cassia jump and she darted after Annabeth toward the dining pavilion. 

🔱

It was safe to say that the dining pavilion was going to be one of Cassia's favorite places at Camp Half-Blood. It consisted of twelve wooden tables each with their own white table cloth trimmed in purple. The pavilion was entirely surrounded by greek columns but the area had no roof or walls. Cassia wondered where they ate when it rained. 

"Hermes table is over there," Annabeth snipped before running off towards a group of tall, blonde, athletic-looking kids seated at a table to the right. 

Cassia sighed. So much for the tentative friendship she'd built with the girl. Cassia turned in the direction Annabeth had pointed to find Percy waving her over towards a table crowded with kids. 

As she approached the table, Luke set down the goblet he'd been drinking from and greeted her. "Hey, Cassia! Thought we'd lost you there for a little bit."

Percy furrowed his brow, looking up at her. "Yeah, where were you?"

Cassia could tell by Percy's tone that he'd been worried about her. A tendril of guilt curled in her chest. She felt bad for leaving her friend alone for so long. She knew Percy's presence comforted her in their strange new settings so it wasn't a stretch to think he might feel the same. 

"Yeah, sorry. I just got caught up talking to Annabeth," Cassia answered, sliding onto the bench across from the two boys. It was a tight fit but she made it work. 

Luke beamed. "Well that's great! I'm glad you're making friends."

Cassia's cheeks flamed at the teenager's brilliant smile. She could see why Annabeth had a crush on the boy, he was cute. "Yeah, me too," Cassia mumbled, reaching for her empty cup. 

Percy and Luke watched with small amused smiles as Cassia looked around for a water pitcher of some sort but turned to them with a deer in headlights look when she came up short. 

Percy had no problem laughing at the girl and even Luke chuckled slightly. 

Cassia narrowed her eyes at the two before harshly kicking Percy's leg under the table, just as he'd been about to take a sip from his drink, causing the liquid to slosh in its cup. The boy grunted slightly, giving her a little glare before setting his drink down. 

Luke watched the two during this little exchange, a smile gracing his face as the two seemed to bicker back and forth silently. "You two fight like an old married couple," Luke commented as he took a sip from his own drink. 

Cassia looked at the teenager in horror at the implication that she and Percy acted anything like a married couple. 

Percy made a face of his own before pointing to her cup and finally deciding to help her. "You speak to it. Say whatever you want and the cup will be filled with it."

"Non-alcoholic," Luke seemed to remind the boy.

Cassia nodded. "Right, okay. Um...orange juice." Cassia lifted the cup to her lips and as the liquid touched her tongue, a grin spread across her face. Orange juice. "That's awesome!"

Luke chuckled. "Just wait until you see what the nymphs have cooked up."

Soon plates of any kind of barbecue you could dream of were passed around, accompanied by a variety of fruits and vegetables. 

Cassia had no problem loading her plate up, she was absolutely starved. Just as she was about to pop a grape in her mouth, she noticed everyone was getting up and making their was toward the central brazier and scraping food off into the fire. 

Luke stood, motioning to both Percy and Cassia. "Come on."

Cassia glanced at Percy as if to ask, what the heck?

The boy simply shrugged and moved to follow after their cabin counselor. 

Cassia hurried to follow the two boys, coming to a stop right in front of the roaring fire. 

"Burnt offerings for the gods," Luke murmured to her and Percy. "They like the smell."

"You're kidding," Percy said, incredulous.

The warning look Luke gave him made Cassia keep her mouth shut. The teenager stepped forward, tossing his grapes into the fire as he said, "Hermes."

Percy stepped forward next closing his eyes for a moment before scraping some brisket into the fire. 

Cassia stepped forward, eyes on the flames which danced before her in a way that seemed almost supernatural. Fire had always entranced her. She shook her head focusing on her task. For my dad, she thought as she dropped her own grapes into the fire, whoever you are. 

Just as she was about to turn away, she remembered her mother had gone to camp here and turned back to the fire. She knew Alexandria had been raised by her father, Cassia's grandfather, before he died when she was fourteen so Alexandria's mother must have been a goddess. "Please," Cassia whispered to the flames. "Help me find my place in this world." 

With that Cassia scraped a hunk of meat into the fire and as it sizzled on the coals the fire jumped, almost as if it was leaping out to pull her in. Cassia stumbled back, looking around wildly to see if anyone had noticed but people simply sat eating with their siblings and talking loudly amongst themselves, none the wiser to what had just occurred. 

Cassia hustled back to her seat and by the time dinner was over, the occurrence had been nearly forgotten. 

Chiron pounded his hoof loudly from his place near the twelfth table which housed Mr. D, a couple of blonde boys that Cassia assumed were Dionysus's sons, and a gaggle of satyrs. Cassia spotted Grover amongst the group and with a smile, she waved when she caught his eye. Her furry friend waved back but flinched when Mr. D stood with a sigh. 

"Yes, I suppose I better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels."

A large cheer arose from the Ares table as Clarisse pumped her fist in the air and high fived each of her siblings. 

"Personally," Mr. D continued with a drawl. "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have two new campers today. Peter Johnson and Cammie Platt."

Chiron leaned over, murmuring in the god's ear. 

"Er, Percy Jackson and Cassia Price," Mr. D corrected. "That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on." The Camp Director made a shooing motion with his hands and at once everybody cheered and headed down to the amphitheater for the sing-along.

Cassia laughed almost the whole way there. Mr. D, with his annoyed and nonchalant attitude, was actually slightly amusing and it was so easy to get wrapped up in the sense of fun with all the other kids. She almost felt like she actually belonged. 

Later that night when she was curled in her sleeping bag and the high had faded, Cassia turned to face Percy and whispered. "Percy, you awake?"

She watched as the boy turned in his sleeping bag to face her. "Yeah, I'm awake," Percy said, eyes drooping with exhaustion as he struggled to focus on her. His eyes widened fully as he took in the look on her face. "Are you okay?"

Cassia nodded biting her lip, even though she most definitely was not okay. "It's just--I mean, this is all crazy, isn't it? It feels like a dream."

A faraway look crossed Percy's eyes. "More like a really bad nightmare."

Cassia went silent at this, remembering that only a few days prior, her best friend had lost his mother, his lifeline. While Cassia didn't know much about Percy's home life, she knew for sure that if he didn't have his mom...well, she didn't like to think about what her friend would be like without the famous Sally Jackson. 

Cassia grabbed her friend's hand. "We're gonna make it through this, Percy. Whatever it takes, I'll always have your back."

Percy smiled slightly and Cassia could tell he was trying to blink the tears from his eyes. "Right. We're in this together," he whispered back. "You and me, just like always."

Cassia smiled and watched as Percy turned back around and lay other his side. It was only after Percy's breathing had evened out that she felt the tears come. She let herself cry silently for only a few moments before wiping her eyes, turning to press her back against Percy's once more and letting sleep whisk her away from this terrifying new world.


	8. Chapter 8

The next few days were surprisingly normal. Well...at least as normal as they could be at a camp filled with half-gods. 

Each morning Cassia and Percy would study Ancient Greek with Annabeth. They'd spend at least a half an hour each day pouring over The Odyssey which Annabeth stated was actually more fact than fiction. 

Cassia treasured the afternoons she got to spend in the forges learning weapon-making with the Hephaestus Cabin and Jake. She often had to convince herself that the reason for her blushing was the heat of the fire as they worked on various swords and not the way Jake would smile at her across the work table. Percy teased her relentlessly for what he called a crush but Cassia was adamant that the two were just friends despite the way the Jake's smile made her stomach fill with butterflies. 

As the days went on, Cassia found that she was pretty average at almost every activity she and Percy tried. She never hit the middle of the target in archery but she always managed to make it onto the board. Foot-racing wasn't too bad either. She could never beat the nymphs but she kept up quite nicely. Wrestling, while she found it strange, she excelled at the sport, finding that she was stronger than most of the Hermes kids. She'd even managed to give Clarisse a run for her money once or twice and had been graced by the daughter of Ares with a hardy slap on the back after each match. 

Canoeing, however, was the one outdoor activity Cassia was horrendous at. She'd always been wary of bodies of water, probably due to the fact that she couldn't swim, and the rocking of the canoe only made her feel sick. She'd spent nearly twenty minutes in the center of the lake paddling in circles before Percy rescued her and helped her get safely back to shore. 

Though even if she'd failed miserably at each new trial, Cassia doubted anyone would have noticed. Everyone's eyes seemed to be glued to Percy and each of his blunders. Her friend seemed to have a near fatal incident in each of the activities they tried (except canoeing) and Cassia could tell by the looks on the camp counselors' faces that they were baffled. At one point she'd heard Luke try to comfort Percy, saying his dad could potentially be Hermes but she could tell that Luke was just as confused as everyone else. 

Everyone was so focused on who Percy's father could be, they didn't stop to analyze Cassia which she was grateful for. More often than not, she'd always been the one people looked at and looked up to, especially during school. Her teachers had often pushed her to get her grades up so that she could run for student council but Cassia never liked responsibility. The idea of making decisions for people, always having people's eyes on her, made her sick to her stomach. She was always so terrified of failure and besides, she preferred to do things alone. 

There were times during her day when she wondered if she'd gotten this trait from her father. Cassia's mother had never seemed to be afraid of anything, always plunging headfirst into each new encounter. With all these questions of her father swirling in her head, they often brought curiosity about her mother and her father's relationship. From the stories, she knew most gods acted on feelings of lust but she couldn't help but wonder if her father had loved her mom, where the two had met and if he'd known about Cassia and just chosen to stay out of her life. Could gods really be so heartless that they'd never visit their children?

The sound of a loud clang shook Cassia from her thoughts. She looked up to see that Luke had disarmed Percy for the fifth time in their first sword-fighting lesson of the week. Cassia sighed and continued tracing figures in the dirt of the arena. 

While Percy actually had a pretty good handle on sword fighting for it being his first time, Cassia found that she was miserable at it. She constantly wanted to have both hands on the weapon and, more often than not, swung with too much force causing her to lose balance and nearly fall on her weapon. Her partner, an unclaimed girl only a few years older than Cassia, had long since abandoned her, deeming that Cassia was hopeless with a sword.

Luke had advised her to sit and watch for the day and, while Cassia normally would've been offended, she was grateful and slunk over to the side to watch. 

After a few more minutes, the group broke for a water break and Cassia helped pass out bottles of chilled water. She tried to ignore the snickers from some of the kids as they glanced at her but simply found herself becoming more self conscious. 

Cassia sighed, passing two bottles of water to Luke and Percy as they came to a stop before her. 

Luke gave her a sympathetic smile. "Don't get too down, Cassia. Maybe a sword's not the weapon for you. There are a ton of kids around camp who prefer knives or archery."

"Right." Cassia nodded, trying not to be discouraged. She watched as Luke poured his bottled of water over his head to cool down and rolled her eyes as Percy followed suit. Her friend immediately perked up with the cool splash of water and followed Luke back into the center of the arena. 

As Luke began demonstrating a new move on Percy, Cassia found herself becoming more and more disinterested in the lesson and eventually wondered out of the arena. She paused for a moment, contemplating on whether or not the group would notice her absence but she simply shrugged it off, she wouldn't be gone for too long. 

As Cassia wondered around the camp, she quickly found herself in the midst of the cabins once more. She noticed a large hearth in the middle of all the cabins and a girl that she hadn't noticed before tending to it. She wondered how the girl, dressed in a long-sleeved brown dress and a cloak, could stand being so close to the blazing fire in the middle of such a hot summer day, but as she approached, Cassia found that the heat was anything but stifling. 

The girl looked up from the fire, smiling at Cassia as she stood before her. "Hello. Welcome to the hearth." The girl's voice was soft and comforting. 

Cassia instantly felt at ease as warmth washed over her and she returned the girl's smile. "Hi, I'm Cassia. I'm new here."

"I know," the girl said, her comforting smile not dropping. "Come sit, Cassandra. My name is Hestia."

Cassia would have been confused by the use of her full name had it not been for the girl's baffling revelation. "H-Hestia?" Cassia questioned.

The girl--no--goddess nodded.

"Oh, umm--" she was suddenly hit with the fact that she had no idea how to greet a goddess. "I'm sorry for disturbing you...my lady?" Cassia tried to do a little curtsy which only ended up looking awkward and forced. 

Hestia's smile widened just a bit, amusement shining in her brown eyes. "No need for such formalities, child. Everyone is equal at the hearth. It is home, of course. Please, sit. It is not often I get visitors."

Cassia's cheeks flamed a bit. "Thank you. Umm, are you here everyday? I don't remember seeing you before."

The goddess turned back toward the hearth, stoking the glowing coals with a metal rod. "I never leave the hearth. There is always someone needed to watch over the home. Often, demigods and gods alike forget that home is always waiting."

"Oh, right." Cassia nodded, tucking a stray piece of hair from behind her ear. 

"Is there something on your mind, Cassandra?" Hestia turned back toward Cassia, eyes searching. 

"How do you know my full name?" Cassia blurted out. She winced, hoping she didn't seem rude. 

The goddess simply smiled. "I make it my job to know the names of my brothers' and sisters' children." 

Cassia was suddenly struck by a thought. "You...you wouldn't happen to know who my father is, would you?"

Hestia's smile turned sad. "Unfortunately, only your parents can reveal the truth of your birth."

Cassia nodded sullenly. "Oh, right. Of course. Sorry, I just--I'm really curious, you know? My mother never talked about my father so I always assumed he was dead. It's only ever been me, her and Kat. "

Hestia nodded. "Family is not always who one is born unto. Often, it is those who one would die for."

Despite her confusion at the goddess's words, she nodded in agreement. 

"There is something I can tell you about your parents."

Cassia's gaze snapped from her hands in her lap to the eyes of the goddess before her which blazed with intensity. "Really?"

"It may not be something you wish to know, Cassandra." The goddess warned. "But, just as my nephew, Apollo, does, I believe one deserves to know the truth. Are you sure this is something you want?"

Cassia was so desperate for any knowledge about the relationship between her parents that she wasn't sure there was anything she didn't want to know. "Yes. Yes, I'd--I'd like to know please."

Hestia nodded, almost sadly. "As you wish." 

The goddess reached out, pressing two fingers to the center of Cassia's forehead and suddenly, everything went black. 

🔱

As Cassia's vision cleared, she found herself standing in the middle of a wood before a crumbling pavilion overrun by flora and fauna. It was absolutely beautiful. The sound of two female voices carried from somewhere under the pavilion startling Cassia from her admiration of the scene. 

She moved toward the voices, letting her feet carry her up the steps to linger behind one of the crumbling columns. Two teenage girls dressed in jeans and orange t-shirts stood at the center of the pavilion before an alter with a lit brazier in the center. Their backs were turned toward Cassia but she could recognized the telltale blonde braid of her mother and the short brown hair of Kat anywhere. 

"--don't know if this is a good idea, Dria," Kat's warning tone clued Cassia in that something was most definitely not right here. "This is a huge risk and we don't know if we can trust her."

Cassia's mother, Alexandria scoffed. "Of course it's a risk, Kat, but it's one we have to take. If I don't do this then there is no hope of change at all. We will continue to be belittled and pushed down by them. We will never have or chance at power."

Cassia's brows furrowed, her mother sounded...strange, almost manic and...power hungry. 

"But what about the risk? There's no guarantee that the potion will work on him and even if it does, you'll be on the run for the rest of your life. Both of you will." 

"The potion will work, Kat. I'm the strongest daughter of Hecate that's been born in three centuries and with the help of the Great Mother, there is no chance it will fail. I will carry his child and you and I will raise it together. It will be the most powerful demigod the world has seen yet and the catalyst for change that our kind has been waiting on for eons." 

"But there's no guarantee that he won't smite you or the child right where you stand when he finds out that you tricked him."

Alexandria scoffed once more. "That sorry excuse for a god is a fool. He cares too much for his offspring to kill one of his children."

Kat visibly cringed, as if expecting to be killed instantly at her friend's words. "Look, I'm just saying that maybe you should think this through a little more before you do anything rash."

"No! I am done considering. The time to act is now. I will lure him into my bed, have is child, and change the world as we know it. My mind is made up." Cassia's mother turned away from her friend and cast something into the fire, making it burn a deep shade of purple. "Leave now, he will be here soon."

Kat simply nodded, backing away from her friend and disappearing from the pavilion. 

Cassia stumbled back, utterly horrified as her mind put together the pieces. She needed to get out of here. 

Thunder boomed overhead and a shower of gold enveloped the pavilion. A loud voice sounded from inside, "Why hello, little dove?"

Alexandria simply dropped to her knees, hands clasped in front of her as if in prayer. "Welcome, my Lord--"

Cassia was yanked from the vision just as fast as she'd been placed within it. She quickly stood stumbling slightly, desperately trying to distance herself from what she'd just learned. "That--that can't have been real. My mother would never..."

Hestia looked up at her with sorrowful eyes and Cassia instantly knew it was true. 

Cassia was not the product of love between her mother and a god. No, she was the product of trickery, deceit, power-hungry selfishness and...and rape instigated by her own mother. "I--excuse me," Cassia strangled out before she took off running, desperate to get far away for everything she'd just discovered. 

🔱

Percy had been able to tell something was wrong with Cassia but thankfully, he hadn't brought it up yet. She just needed time to process this new information. She now understood why her mother had almost never been around during Cassia's childhood. Alexandria had been running from her crimes, her crimes against a god. And Cassia...Cassia was the result of that crime. No wonder her father hadn't claimed her. She couldn't begin to imagine how disgusted he'd be of the child of the women who'd forced him into...

Cassia shook her head. She didn't want to think about it anymore so she focused on pushing her dinner around on her plate and half listening to Percy and Luke's conversation about capture the flag which would be commencing just after dinner. 

As plates were cleared away, campers cheered as Annabeth and a couple of her siblings entered the pavilion carrying a ten foot long grey banner, decorated with an owl and an olive tree. Next, Clarisse entered the pavilion with her cabin's flag, identical in length but instead red with a painting of a bloody spear and a boar's head. 

No part of Cassia wanted to participate in the festivities, but she knew it would be a good distraction so she forced herself to cheer along with the other campers. 

"Ares and Athena always lead the teams?" Percy questioned Luke over the roar of the campers. 

"Not always," the teenager replied. "But often."

"Cause they're the best warriors, right?" Cassia shouted back.

Luke threw his head back and laughed. "Pretty much."

"So, if another cabin captures one of the flags, what do you do--repaint it?" Percy asked. 

Luke grinned at the two of them. "You'll see. First we have to get one."

"Which side are we playing for?" Cassia raised herself onto her tiptoes to get a good look at the Ares table, each kid already dressed in full battle armor. 

Luke smirked, a devious look taking over his features that made Cassia shiver. "We've made a temporary alliance with Athena. Tonight, we get the flag from Ares. And you two are going to help."

"Us?" Cassia questioned incredulous. 

Luke gave no answer as the teams were announced. Athena, Apollo and Hermes were all on one team. The three biggest cabins siding together. Leaving Ares to ally themselves with everyone else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite and Hephaestus. 

Cassia craned her neck to get a look at the Hephaestus table were Jake was chanted loudly with his brothers and sisters. She blushed as he caught her eye, giving her a little smirk as he mouthed, you're going down. 

Cassia laughed as she shook her head at the boy, she'd like to see him try to beat her. Cassia's competitive spirit kicked up as the roar of the campers grew louder when Chiron stepped up. 

The centaur pounded his hoof, getting everyone to quiet down. "Heroes! You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

He waved a hand and the tables were suddenly filled with weapons of every sort: bronze swords, spears, and oxhide shields coated in metal. 

A thrill pulsed within Cassia, as the energy spiked around her. She loved this, everyone chanting and cheering and gearing up for a fight. 

"Whoa," Percy said. "We're really supposed to use these?"

Luke gave Percy a funny look. "Unless you want to get skewered by your friends in cabin five. Here--Chiron thought these would fit for you two. You'll both be on boarder patrol."

Luke thrust a shield and helmet, both of which were way too large for him, into Percy's hands. He picked up a breast plate from the table and motioned for Cassia to come forward.

She moved in front of Luke before standing still as he buckled the straps at her sides. The breast plate must've been designed for a girl much older and larger than Cassia as she noticed the large gap in-between her chest and the metal. She fought a blush as she thanked Luke before picking up her sword that was way too light and plopping her blue feathered helmet on her head. 

"Blue team, forward!" Annabeth yelled and everyone began marching toward the tree line. 

Cassia lost sight of Percy before finding him once more at the creek boundary line. "Hey!" she called.

Percy jumped slightly as he turned but greeted her with a small smile as she approached. 

"This our spot?" Cassia asked. 

"Yeah," Percy said, sounding unenthused. "Annabeth said, 'Stand by the creek, keep the reds away.'"

Cassia nodded. "Great, so no action for us then?"

"Don't think so," Percy answered. 

A horn sounded in the distance and cheers and whoops met it with vigor. A decked out Apollo kid raced past Cassia and Percy, headed toward what Cassia assumed was the fun. She sighed, kicking a rock into the creek. 

"Hey, is everything okay?" Percy questioned, brows furrowed as he took a step toward her. 

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Yeah, everything's cool."

Percy gave her an unconvinced look. "You know I can tell when you're lying, right? You're my best friend, Cass. If something's on your mind, you can always tell me."

Cassia sighed. "I know, I know. It's just--"

A loud growl sounded from behind Cassia deeper with the woods. She whipped around, eyes searching the trees. "Did you hear that?"

Percy's voice grew louder as he came up from behind her. "Yeah, what--"

A large rustling from the other side of the creek drew their attention away as Clarisse burst out with four of her siblings.

"Cream the punk!" She shouted pointing toward Percy. 

"Oh sh--" Cassia's eyes widened as the group charged across the stream. 

Despite the fact that Percy was their main target, that didn't mean Cassia was spared. 

The same girl she'd elbowed in the nose charged right toward Cassia, she raised her sword to fight the the girl simply knocked it from her hands before barreling into her at all speed. 

The wind was knocked out of Cassia's chest as the girl landed directly on top of her. Her head throbbed from its contact with the ground, despite the helmet. In a flash the girl was straddling her, one fist raised. Pain exploded across Cassia's face as the girl struck. Fight mode finally kicked in and Cassia bucked her hips to get the girl off. 

She could hear Clarisse and Percy screaming at each other but was too preoccupied dealing with her own enemy. Cassia scrambled for her sword, kicking off the girl as she grabbed at Cassia's feet. She grasped the sword, not hesitating as the twisted around, slamming the butt of it into the Ares girl's face promptly knocking her out. 

Cassia stood just in time to see one of the Ares boys slash Percy's arm with his sword, drawing bright red blood, before pushing her friend into the creek. 

"Hey!" she screamed. "Pea brain! Leave my friend alone!" She launched herself at the boy, sword swinging, managing to catch his leg with the tip of it. 

Clarisse whirled around, spear managing to catch Cassia right in the shoulder. A burst of energy shot through her as the spear made contact, allowing Cassia to shove the girl away from both her and Percy. Clarisse's eyes widened in disbelief as she stumbled away, her eyes glued to Cassia. 

Seconds flew by as the last Ares kid launched himself at Cassia, managing to catch her helmet with the flat of his sword, knocking it off and her to the ground whilst setting off a loud ring in her ears. She groaned but kicked at the boy's legs managing to bring him down with her. 

Cassia managed to raise herself off the ground, sword raised, ready to fight anyone who came near her and Percy when she saw Luke racing toward the boundary line, the Ares flag tightly within his grasp. 

Cassia let out a laugh despite the pain in her face and the blood leaking from her nose as she watched her team members race across the creek, shouting in victory. 

"A trick!" Clarisse screamed, rising from where Percy had knocked her down. "It was a trick."

But it was too late, the blue team had won and Ares had lost. Everyone exploded into cheers and shouts. Somebody patted Cassia on the back, congratulating her on good defense. 

Cassia turned, launching herself toward Percy who was still in the creek, wrapping him in a hug. "We did it!" she screamed. 

Percy laughing, hugging her back. "We did!"

Cassia pulled away to find Annabeth staring at Percy's arm, the girl had seemed to appear out of thin air. 

"How did you do that?" Annabeth questioned him. 

Cassia's eyes zeroed in on the arm Percy had injured and her eyes widened. 

"Sword cut," Percy answered. "What do you think?"

Cassia shook her head, stepping out of the creek. "No. That was a sword cut. Percy look at it."

The wound on his arm was slowly starting to heal over before it simply disappeared. 

"I--I don't get it," Percy stuttered as he stared at his arm. 

"Step out of the water, Percy," Annabeth said, almost horrified.

That's when Cassia made the connection. Percy had been healed by the water. 

"What--"

"Just do it," Annabeth ordered. 

Percy stepped out of the water and immediately his knees buckled. 

Cassia was there almost immediately to steady him. "Annabeth, what does this mean?"

The Athena girl simply stared at her friend. "Oh, Styx," she cursed. "This is not good. I didn't want...I assumed it would be Zeus..."

Before Cassia could questioned her again, a loud growl ripped through the air. Cassia turned toward the sound, letting Percy go and stepping away to raise her sword. 

The cheering immediately died and Chiron shouted in Ancient Greek, "Stand ready! My bow!"

Annabeth drew her sword beside Cassia and that's when it appeared. 

A black dog the size of a hippo with glowing red eyes and fangs as long as her forearms bounded up onto a cropping of rocks. It was looking straight past her, right at Percy. 

"Percy, run!" Annabeth screamed. 

Cassia raised her sword, panic making her movement jerky. 

The hound launched itself over both her and Annabeth, knocking Percy back, the hound's claws tearing into him at an inhuman speed. 

It took only an instant for about a dozen arrows to embed itself in the creatures neck and it fell dead only moments later. 

Cassia launched herself forward to get to her friend but Annabeth grasped her arm, trying to hold her back but Cassia simply ripped her arm from the girl's grasp and stopped at the edge of the creek at the sight of her friend. Red...there was so much red.

"Di immortales!" Annabeth said behind her. " That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't...they're not supposed to..."

"Someone summoned it," Chiron said grimly. "Someone inside the camp."

From the corner of her eye, Cassia saw Luke stride forward, banner completely forgotten at his feet. 

"It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!" Clarisse shrieked. 

"Be quiet, child," Chiron scolded her. 

Cassia spoke up. "Get in the water, Percy."

"I'm okay," Percy said.

Cassia shook her head. 

Annabeth answered for her. "No, you're not. Get in the water, Percy. Chiron, watch this."

Percy finally stepped back into the creek and relief flooded Cassia as she watched his wounds begin to close. 

Gasps sounded from behind her as the campers beheld the sight before them. A holographic image appeared over Percy's head. A green trident, spinning and shining. All the air left Cassia's lungs, she knew what that symbol meant. 

"Look, I--I don't know why," Percy started. "I'm sorry..."

"Percy," Annabeth pointed to the image. "Umm..."

Percy finally looked up, noticing the light that shined over his head, determine his parentage. 

"Your father," Annabeth murmured. "This is really not good."

Chiron cleared his throat, stepping forward. "It is determined."

"My father?" Percy questioned. 

Left and right, people began kneeling but Cassia stayed frozen, staring at her friend, realizing what this meant. A broken vow. 

"Poseidon," Chiron announced. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."

Percy's jaw dropped and it looked as though he was about to faint. 

Cassia finally snapped out of her daze, stepping toward her friend. "Percy..."

A charged energy filled the air, causing Cassia to look instinctively toward the sky. Thunder boomed, campers around her screamed, and lightning struck. 

Pain like she'd never felt before seared Cassia to her core, her right arm burned with an intensity that made her cry out and fall to one knee. Blinding light filled her vision and a second later is was all over. 

She rose on shaky legs, her right arm still burning. Her stomach rolled and she fought not to spew her guts in front of the entire camp.

"Oh my gods..." Annabeth whispered, horror filling her tone.

Percy's eyes now rested on Cassia causing her to look down. 

Cassia's clothes and armor had disappeared leaving her in a chiton of white with golden thread stitched around the bottom. On her burning right arm a tattoo of black ink, detailing a double-edged battle axe had been seared into her skin. A weight on her head had her left hand reaching up to find a crown of golden laurels woven into her hair and that's when she saw it. The same holograph that Percy had but...different. This holograph was a golden storm cloud with a lightning bolt and unlike Percy, she knew what her's meant.

"Zeus. Justicebringer, Lord of the Sky, and Father of Gods and Men. All hail, Cassandra Price, Daughter of the King of the Gods."


	9. Chapter 9

The next few seconds were chaos. Campers immediately started placing themselves in between Cassia and Percy. Clarisse sprung from her kneeling position, not hesitating in tossing Cassia over her shoulder and hauling her away from a wide eyed Percy who was being tugged in the opposite direction by Annabeth.

"Hey!" Cassia kicked her legs, trying to release herself from Clarisse's tight grip. "Put me down!"

"Sorry, no can do, Sparky." Clarisse grunted as Cassia pounded on her back.

"Where are we going? What's happening? Put me down, Clarisse! I'm not going to let myself be hauled around like a sack of potatoes!" Cassia dug her elbow fiercely into the girl's side.

Clarisse huffed and set Cassia down harshly when they'd made it far enough from the calamity. 

Cassia shoved herself away from the bigger girl, quickly straightening the chiton she wore. She nearly marveled at how smooth the fabric was, like water. Her gaze drifted to her right arm where the axe had been tattooed or...burned...into her skin. The awe quickly vanished into a sick queazy feeling.

"You don't get what this means, do you?" Clarisse demanded, drawing Cassia's attention back toward her. "Poseidon played his hand so Zeus just had to play his too. The best thing to do is separate you and Percy right now." The larger girl opened and closed her fists as if looking for someone to punch to take out her frustration.

Alarmed filled Cassia. Separated from Percy? "What—what do you mean? Why did everyone jump between Percy and I? Why do you want us separated?" 

The daughter of Ares grit her teeth. "Hey I'm never one to deny watching a match between champions but a fight between you and Percy could level the freaking camp."

"A fight between me and Percy?" Cassia cried, she tugged her hands through her tangled blonde hair, wincing as the crown of laurels pulled at her hair. "What reason would we have to fight?" The daughter of Zeus stopped in her tracks, deep blue eyes pleading to the daughter of Ares for a explanation that actually made sense.

"Look," Clarisse pinched the bridge of her nose, as if trying to stop herself from giving Cassia a good punch to the gut. "Poseidon and Zeus. They're fighting big time right now. I'm talking like major, world ending fighting but nobody knows over what. Then Poseidon goes and claims a son when, mind you, he's not even supposed to have one because of the oath and Zeus went and claimed you two seconds later! I mean, the god's already fallen off the wagon once--"

Cassia stepped forward, brows drawn together. "You mean the girl. A few years ago, who didn't make it to camp with Grover and the other demigods." Percy had mentioned it to her before lights out a few nights ago. They'd been overwhelmed with sympathy for their satyr friend. "The girl...she was my sister?"

Clarisse nodded. "The only daughter of Zeus left in the world at the time. Well, that we knew of at least. Now, we've got you." Clarisse made a gesture as if to say they'd traded a prized racehorse and, instead of acquiring a beast of equal worth, they'd gotten a lame fowl.

Heat flooded Cassia's cheeks. So this was what it was like to have an older sibling? Always having the feeling of not being able to measure up. A stray thought crossed her mind, would they have been friends? Enemies? A hollow feeling formed in her chest. She'd lost something she didn't even know she'd had.

"But the point is," Clarisse continued, interrupting the girl's thoughts, "Poseidon claimed Percy and Zeus claimed you. They're basically setting up the two of you to duke it out for them. You're enemies now."

"Enemies?" Cassia was taken aback for a moment, eyes wide as saucers before her jaw set and she stomped her foot. "No! Percy and I are friends. We're not going to fight just being some old dudes in dresses want us to figure out their crap for them."

Clarisse glanced nervously towards the sky, wringing her hands before answering. "It doesn't matter if you want to fight or not," Clarisse said solemnly, head shaking as if she pitied the girl before her. "It's expected of you both now by your fathers, who just happen to be two of the most powerful gods in existence. It's best that we keep you and Percy separate."

Cassia shook her head, hands tearing through her hair once more. How had everything managed to go so wrong so fast? First the hellhound and now...wait, the hellhound. "The hellhound," Cassia questioned, heart racing in her chest. "What does it mean?"

A grim look crossed Clarisse's face as she turned away. "A hellhound can only mean one thing: Hades. He knows." 

🔱

In the morning, Chiron moved Cassia into the Zeus Cabin. 

The cabin itself was a work of art. It stood taller than all the rest, looking slightly like a bank with lightning carved into the bronze doors. The inside was just as impressive. The ceiling was a lifelike mural of a stormy sky that actually looked like it was moving. Tiny alcoves held beautifully designed golden eagle statues. And the sound of rain and thunder echoed quietly within the chamber. She immediately hated it. Not because it was ugly or anything, but because of what it meant. She was separated now. Different. Again. Just when she thought she'd finally found a place to fit in, the tentative foundation she'd built began crumbling beneath her.

However, the only legitimate problems Cassia found with her new home were that one, there were no bunks and two, there was a giant, glaring statue of her father in the center of the cabin. 

When Clarisse visited a few days later, she'd winced when she saw the looming monstrosity after examining the room. The girl had been kind enough to help Cassia move her things, however few of them their were, into the cabin and even promised to get the Hephaestus kids to build her a bunk. 

Cassia was grateful for Clarisse's kindness despite how odd it was to receive it from the girl who'd tried to take out her best friend on multiple occasions. Everyone else had already started avoiding Cassia but they'd payed enough attention to make sure to keep a close eye on her and Percy. Gods, she hadn't seen him since the night of capture the flag. There was nothing to be done, however. Their daily schedules were entirely different now.

Chiron had Cassia joining the Ares cabin for training on a daily basis, quite obviously in an attempt to keep her and Percy at a distance. Scrambling for some form of stability and routine amidst all the craziness, Cassia threw herself into the taxing work. While many of the Ares children refused to speak or even spar with her, Cassia found she enjoyed how hard they trained. She was able to distract her wandering thoughts by throwing herself into drills and lessons.

Clarisse had also been a major help when it came to occupying Cassia's restless mind. The girl pushed her so hard in training that Cassia barely had time to think of anything but blocking the spear aiming for her face. 

"You have to focus," Clarisse had said to her one morning after a grueling training session. "You're going to need all the training you can get to survive in this world now."

Despite how Cassia's bones seemed to ache after each session and how many times she'd wanted to quit, she kept at it. She'd started training with a double-headed battle axe now instead of a sword. Clarisse had taken the tattoo on Cassia's arm as a sign and shoved the weapon into her hands on their first day of training together. The weapon was extremely heavy and slowed Cassia down at times, but the axe felt like it belonged in her hands. 

Cassia had spent an entire morning one day examining all the things she'd been 'graced with', as Clarisse liked to say, at her claiming. The white chiton, a Greek dress of sorts, was way too fancy for Cassia but still, it laid folded neatly near her sleeping bag. The crown of golden laurels had taken forever to unweave from Cassia's wavy hair. However, after finally getting the wretched thing off of her head, she'd had time to admire the artistry of the crown and had taken great care to not damage the fragile, nearly paper thin golden leaves. And finally, the one 'grace' she could not remove from her body. The axe tattoo.

Tattoos had never been on Cassia's agenda, especially not at twelve. Sure, there'd been girls in her grade who liked to speculate at what tattoos they'd get one day but Cassia didn't like to join in on the imagining. Nothing felt important enough to put on her body forever, at least nothing yet. 

As Cassia ran her fingers over the tattoo on her right arm, tiny tingles zipped through her fingertips, making her shiver slightly. She slowly traced the black, inky outline of a leather covered handle at the base of her wrist. Her fingers traveled up the wooden length of the staff covered in jagged designs, as if the very wood itself had been struck by lightning, to the seemingly razor sharp double-bladed head of the axe, covered in swirling designs with the addition of Greek words etched on each blade too small to read no matter how hard Cassia squinted.

On a particularly sunny day when the sun made the black of the tattoo look stark against her ivory skin tone, Cassia wondered at the meaning of the damned thing for the billionth time.

Out of the corner of her eye, Cassia spotted something rushing toward her. Ducking quickly and spinning out of the thing's reach, Cassia gritted her teeth, struggling to heft the axe that had been resting on the ground into the air.

"Almost got you there." Jake Mason stood there in all his grease stained glory, gloved hands fisted at both hips and stunning smile gracing his face. 

Cassia huffed in mock irritation, letting her axe head thump to the ground of the dusty training arena. She'd let herself get lost in her own head again. "What're you doing here?" She questioned, actually curious. She rarely saw the boy outside the forges.

"Had to check out the newest celebrity in action but it seems like you're doing more daydreaming than actual practicing." A little smirk replaced Jake's bright smile as he looked her up and down.

Cassia rolled her eyes, blowing a strand of blonde hair from her face as she tried to not think of her reddening cheeks. Gods did she always have to blush so easily? "You're one to talk, you know? I never see you putting in any practice."

It was Jake's turn to roll his eyes this time. "I'm more of a gadget man myself. Gadget men don't do a lot of practicing."

A snort burst from Cassia as she observed his cocky posture. 

The boy narrowed his eyes at her before stomping his foot and whining in mock anger. "It's true!"

Cassia threw her head back and laughed loudly, completely floored by the boy's act. As she slowly began to collect herself, wiping tears from her eyes, Cassia spied Jake staring at her. "What?" She questioned, still a bit breathless.

"There's that laugh," Jake said, watching her with a small smile.

Cassia froze, blushing fiercely once more before twisting her axe in the dirt as if to try to take the attention away from her red face and the memory of her loud, unrestrained laugh. She'd never had the sweet, angel-like giggles the popular girls' at Yancy had. She thumped her axe into the ground to disperse the thought.

Clarisse would throttle her if she saw her treating her weapon this way. Luckily the girl had run off to get her siblings ready for dinner. Cassia sighed at the thought. Another night sitting alone at the Zeus table, staring at the back of Percy's head and praying for him to turn around when Chiron wasn't looking so that she could at least try to talk to him.

"Hey, where'd the smile go?"

Cassia pulled from thoughts of Percy to the present with Jake. She grimaced slightly. "Sorry, just...thinking."

Jake nodded, a contemplative look covering his face as he stared off into the arena before his eyes settled back on her. "You know what's good to get you to stop thinking?"

Heat crept up Cassia's neck at the intense look the boy was giving her. "Uh--I, well, I ummm--"

A smile broke across Jake's face as he whipped a wrench out of his back pocket, flipping it in the air and catching it swiftly. "Sparring."

"Sp--sparring?"

"Yup! Good old fashioned exercise." The boy finished his sentence with a wink, sending Cassia back into the blushing, stuttering mess once more.

"I--" She took a deep breath, swallowing harshly before reaching into the deepest corners of herself for some cool, nonchalant facade. A calm feeling washed over her as a small smirk overtook her face. "I thought gadget man didn't need practice, huh?"

Woah, where'd that confidence come from? she thought, slightly amazed with herself.

Jake's smile widened at the shift in her attitude as he continued to play along. "Well, you know, Gadget Man would be willing to teach our newest camper a thing or two."

Cassia laughed once more, it sounded so much more full and...charming. "Alright then, gadget man." She hefted her axe into the air, this time with little effort. Where was this strength coming from? "Show me what you got."

Jake Mason simply smirked at her before flipping his wrench in the air once more, and launching it towards her.

🔱

After the particularly long two hours of training with Jake, Cassia collapsed onto her sleeping bag. The boy, while apparently not practicing much, was actually incredibly good at sparring. And whatever bit of strength or confidence or whatever the hell that was hadn't remained for long. It was safe to say Cassia got her butt handed to her.

Cassia sighed, massaging her sore muscles and leaning against the back wall of cabin one, as far away from the statue of her father as she could get. She still hadn't been able to wrap her mind around the fact that Zeus was her father. She wasn't quite sure what this meant in regards to the vision Hestia had shown her. Alexandria had tricked Zeus into conceiving Cassia, the god probably didn't care about his daughter at all. For all she knew, he could just be using her to get back at Poseidon. Once that was over, Zeus could dispose of her as he saw fit. He was the King of the Gods after all, there would be no one to save her.

Cassia picked at the thread of her sleeping bag. How had everything gotten so screwed up so fast? Nearly everyone at camp avoided her, Chiron shot her troubling looks during archery lessons, and the thing that pissed her off most was that she hadn't even spoken with Percy in days. Thunder boomed louder inside the cabin as Cassia gritted her teeth. This wasn't fair. She and Percy had no reason to fight. She didn't want to fight him and she was almost positive that he didn't want to throw down with her either. They would never let something as stupid as a squabble between their fathers wreck their friendship.

With that thought, Cassia made up her mind. She shoved off the cover of her sleeping bag and pulled on her sneakers. She was done letting others dictate what she was going to do and who she was going to see.

She quietly pulled open the front door of her cabin, peaking out into the late night darkness. Crickets chirped loudly and squawks sounded in the distance. Clarisse had mentioned that harpies patrolled the camp at night, making sure that no campers ventured around camp past light's out. However, the Poseidon Cabin was only a few yards to the right of her own. If she sprinted, she'd make it there in seconds.

Taking a deep breath, Cassia closed the cabin door behind her and dashed to her right. She skidded to a stop in front of Percy's cabin door. The smell of the ocean tickled her nose as the faraway sound of waves could be heard somewhere within the cabin. Cassia knocked lightly on the door. "Percy?" she called quietly.

Percy was probably asleep at this hour and while she hated to wake him, she desperately needed to see her friend. Glancing behind her one last time to make sure no one was coming, Cassia pushed open the door and entered cabin three.

Cassia's breath caught in her throat as she admired her surroundings. The interior walls were made from some kind of pearlescent material, casting an ethereal glow over the room. Six bunks occupied the space, each covered in crisp blue sheets. The sound of ocean waves echoed throughout the room, mixed with the heavy breathing of someone sound asleep. This place was a lot more homey than her own cabin.

Squinting through the darkness, Cassia spotted Percy in one of the bottom bunks. The Minotaur horn resting on a nightstand, almost standing guard over her friend's sleeping form. Cassia ventured closer, coming to a stop at the edge of her friend's bed. 

Percy's black hair stuck out every which way and his sheets were twisted around his legs. Cassia frowned at this. Percy was usually a very still sleeper, the boy must've been having a nightmare.

Cassia sat carefully on the edge of Percy before reaching out to shake the boy's arm. "Percy," she whispered quietly. "Wake up."

The boy simply groaned and turned over in his sleep, nearly knocking Cassia off the bed. Her irritation flared slightly, she reached out and jostled his arm. "Oi! Jackson, wake up!"

Percy shot up, arms flailing and eyes wide as his head collided harshly with hers making her reel back and land harshly on the floor.

Cassia rubbed her forehead, trying to dispel the pain radiating there. "Jeez, Percy. I just wanted to talk, you didn't have to head butt me like that."

"Cass?" Percy rubbed his eyes, trying to clear sleep from his mind.

Cassia scoffed, still miffed about the head butt. "No, it's Santa Claus."

A silence from the bed made Cassia roll her eyes and hiss, "Yes, Percy. It's me."

"Oh..." Percy trailed off, sounding almost uncomfortable.

Regret flashed through Cassia. Maybe she shouldn't have come and just left everything alone.

Cassia stood quickly, brushing herself off. "Sorry, I'll just go."

"No!" Percy backtracked quickly. "No, no. It's fine. I wanted to see you actually, I just..." The boy trailed off again.

Cassia turned back toward her friend. No doubt he was about to tell her that they shouldn't be near each other and to go back to her own cabin. "Well? What is it? Let me guess, you think we shouldn't be associating with each other just like everyone else does. Just spit it out, Kelp Head." 

"Jesus Cass, I just don't have any pants on!"

"Oh." Cassia backed up so fast her butt hit the bunk opposite of Percy's. She was thankful for the darkness so that he couldn't see her burning face. "Uh--well--"

Percy sighed at his flustered friend. "Just give me a sec, okay? Turn around."

Cassia quickly shuffled around on the bed, turning away from him and making sure to close her eyes for good measure. 

After a few moments and the sound of rustling clothing, Percy spoke. "Okay, I'm good."

Cassia shuffled back around, eyes slowly opening to see her best friend standing before her, a strange glow from the walls cast across his face. She finally noticed the bags under his eyes and the drawn look on his face. The sight made her heart hurt. She cleared her throat, all thoughts of what to say fleeing her mind. "So...how've you been?"

Percy stared at her a moment before a small smile began creeping up his face and a quiet laugh shook his body. "Only you would wake me up at midnight to ask how I've been doing."

Cassia smiled widely, pleased to have brought a smile to Percy's face. "Shut up, Jackson."

The two resided there for a few moments, staring at each other, thinking. Cassia spoke up once more leaning forward with her hands clasped in front of her. "How have you been though?" Her voice more serious. "Really?"

Percy sighed loudly, running a hand through his ruffled hair before taking a seat back on his bed, opposite Cassia. "Honestly? I'm not really sure. Everything's just been so crazy. I mean, I've been having these really weird dreams and with all this claiming stuff and finding out who my dad is after all these years. I mean, no one even speaks to us now and they're keeping us separated..."

Cassia nodded, trying to calm the indignant feeling that rose within her over the thought of them being separated. "Clarisse said it's because of Zeus and Poseidon. They're fighting or something. Pitting us against each other to solve the problem for them."

Percy hummed in agreement. "That's what Annabeth said. Something about an object being stolen. Zeus is blaming Poseidon but Poseidon, my dad I guess, is offended over being accused in the first place."

Running a hand through her hair, Cassia shook her head. "It's so weird. Thinking about them as our dads, you know? Like it's only ever been my mom and Kat and now I've got a father all of a sudden. It's just..."

"I know exactly how you feel," Percy answered quietly.

"I mean, twelve years we've been around, and they never showed up. Not once. I mean, I guess I can understand why Zeus never came to visit my mom but--"

Percy cast her a strange look. "What do you mean?"

Cassia eyes nearly popped out of her head when she realized what she'd just said. She had yet to tell Percy about what happened with Hestia. She'd been holding off, not only because she didn't know how to tell him but also because in part she felt ashamed. She wanted to open her mouth and tell him but something stopped her, it didn't feel right yet. "I just mean because she's never around, you know? She's always traveling."

Percy nodded. He'd heard her talk about it a few times before at Yancy when the two of them and Grover would sneak out of the dorms at night on occasion to sit on the roof. Cassia smiled at the thought of simpler times. Everything seemed so easy then compared to now. They were just kids, dealing with absentee parents, bullies, and failing grades. She almost wished she could go back to that time when all she had to worry about was studying for her next math test.

Cassia shook her head. "Anyway. You said you've been having weird dreams? Nightmares?"

Percy nodded once more. "Yeah. It's almost always the same dream but it scares the hell out of me every time."

Cassia understood the feeling. Ever since she got to camp, she'd been having the same problem. Strange dreams filled with darkness and cold and what felt like...evil. She only hoped that the dreams, whatever they meant, weren't premonitions of things to come.


	10. Chapter 10

She had strange nightmares when she finally got back to Cabin One. The dream started out like every other nightmare she'd always had. 

She stood in the middle of a large field, the sun warming her skin and the wind casting a light breeze on her face. It was peaceful, quiet except for the hissing of the breeze through the tall grass. As she took in her surroundings she spotted a figure a few hundred yards away from her. Sometimes it was Grover, or Kat, or Percy, or on the rare occasion her mother, but it was always someone she loved. In this dream, it was Percy waving to her from across the field, beckoning her to follow him.

As she moved to take her first step towards her friend, she found her feet stuck in at least a foot of dark, almost black mud. Every time she tried to pull herself out, the mud suctioned her a few inches deeper into the ground.

Looking back up to Percy to call for his help, she found his expression mirroring her own. Panic settling into his features as he began to sink deeper and deeper into the mud, much faster than she was. She screamed, and cried, and desperately tried to claw herself out of the mud, as she always did, to try to save her friend but she couldn't free herself. She screamed as she watched Percy's head go under and had only seconds to spare to look up at the bright blue sky with not a cloud in sight before she was swallowed as well.

Usually she woke up the second her vision went black within her dream. This time, however, as she felt the mud suffocating her, a tremor shook the earth around her, shaking her loose from the mud and setting her into a free fall.

The rushing wind ripped the breath from her lungs as she flailed in the air, falling into darkness. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut and she prayed that she wouldn't go splat on the floor of the cavern she'd fallen into. When she was certain she was about to reach the ground and she'd look like a red paint splatter on the ground, her descent slowed considerably but not enough that it didn't hurt like hell when she finally hit. 

Her eyes opened to find herself in a field once more but instead of the stalks of tall, yellow grass and the glaring blue sky, she found herself surrounded by dead grass, grayish in color and a strange fog floating above her where the sky should be. Spirits of the dead whispered around her, looking completely void of any emotion.

A few yards to her right, she spotted a cave, the entrance leading deeper into it looking more dark and menacing than the place she was already in. Her dream self must've had some kind of death wish because she stood to venture toward the cave. She took care not to touch any of the spirits, diving out of the way of a particularly large one, only to ghost through the spirit of a girl with dark skin and curly cinnamon brown hair, maybe only a year or two older than Cassia, dressed in clothes not from this century. She opened her mouth to apologize to the spirit but the girl had already drifted on. 

Banishing the girl from her mind, she moved towards the cave once more, letting in pull her deep into its depths. Cold air hit her like a blast and gooseflesh rose along her arms, however it was not entirely from the frigid air. A presence seemed to permeate within the cave, a presence more ancient than the gods themselves. 

Come for a visit, little hero? a cold voice asked from the depths of a chasm within the cave that she hadn't noticed before. Her breath caught in her throat at the thought of falling into it. She had a feeling if she did, there would be no returning for her. Now, now, you shouldn't be able to do that on your own.

A shiver ran down her spine. Who are you? Her voice sounded small and weak to her own ears.

I have many names. None of which you will come to know for a long while. The voice echoed around her, so loud and yet quiet like a whisper, grating and yet smooth. Gods it was everywhere, she could almost feel it echoing inside her brain. My servant doesn't think you will be of much use, but with the Jackson boy being only minutes older...well, the Fates seemed to have left a lot of room for chance and...I wonder...how easy would it be to turn your heart to my cause? So much anger roils beneath that skin, so much...potential. I'll just have to keep an eye on you, won't I, little hero?

The thought of the owner of this voice watching her...her legs began to tremble. She swallowed. What--what cause?

All in good time, the voice answered. All will be revealed when you have proven yourself worthy.

The voice's vagueness was beginning to frustrate her. Whatever the cause, I will have no part in it.

Laughter boomed throughout the cavern, echoes bouncing off the walls as the sound reverberated through the space. I would not be so sure of that, Cassandra Price. Not at all.

She grit her teeth, ready to fire back at the demonic voice when the walls of the cavern began to quake.

It seems our time is up for now, little hero. The voice said, seemingly unbothered by the crumbling cave. But I trust I will be seeing you very very soon.

🔱

Cassia awoke to a frantic pounding on her door. She swiped at the sweat that slid down her temples and shook off the queasy feeling, trying her best to forget the dream. 

No doubt Clarisse had come to drag her out of bed for training. She must've missed breakfast. 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming," she grumbled as she detangled herself from her sleeping bag. The marble floor felt cold under Cassia's bare feet, sending a shiver up her spine her. 

Ripping open the large bronze door of cabin one, Cassia met the eyes of Grover Underwood who stood quaking with anxiety on her front steps. Cassia's scowl was overtaken by a surprised look, she hadn't talked to her other best friend in days either. Though Cassia had figured he was busy with important satyr things.

"We have a problem. A major, world-ending, comfort food-needing problem." Grover pushed right past her, heading deeper into the cabin.

"Come right on in," Cassia mumbled, still grouchy from being woken up. Shutting the door, Cassia turned to see her friend pacing around the statue of Zeus most likely trying to find a spot where the statue's eyes didn't follow him. She sighed, shaking her head. 

Padding over to her sleeping bag, Cassia began digging through the bag of clothes and other items Clarisse had nicked for her from the camp store. No doubt she'd bullied one of the Hermes kids to grab the stuff for her. The thought still made her slightly uncomfortable. "What kind of world-ending problem are we talking about here?"

Grover made a distressed sound, probably irritated by Cassia's lack of worry but by the gods, she'd just woken up. Besides, it's not that she didn't trust Grover's judgement, it's just that the boy could be a slight over-worrier.

"Come on, Grover. Spit it out," Cassia taunted as disappeared around the opposite side of the statue to pull on some fresh clothes.

As Cassia hopped out from behind the statue of her father, balancing on one foot as she desperately tried to pull on her left sock, Grover gushed out. "They're sending Percy on a quest with Annabeth and I to find Zeus's stolen master bolt which everyone thinks Percy stole even though he says he didn't and apparently Chiron thinks Hades has it so that means we're going to have to go into the Underworld, and you know I don't like dark places, and we have to find it and get it to Olympus by the summer solstice, which is in eleven days mind you, otherwise Zeus is going to blast Percy to smithereens, Poseidon will probably drown you to oblivion and the world is going to end!" Grover sucked in a huge breath, face beet red.

Cassia's mouth hung open, her sock forgotten in her hand. She stared at Grover a moment before closing her mouth, lips set in a firm line. "When do we leave?"

Yes, this was completely and utterly insane but she'd be damned if she let her best friends go on this life-threatening quest without her. 

"That's the thing Cassia," Grover said mournfully, "There is no we."

"What do you mean there is no we?" Cassia demanded.

"I mean a quest is taken on by three people. It's the rules. No more, no less. Three's a sacred number, a safe one. The quest was given to Percy, Annabeth volunteered, and...Percy chose me to go along." His voice quieted at the last part.

"Oh." Cassia's brow furrowed as she looked at the ground. Percy hadn't chosen her to go on the quest with him. Thinking more about it, she realized the decision made sense. Percy was new to camp and he'd need help from people who were experienced in dealing with the world of gods and monsters. Annabeth and Grover would be able to keep him alive, Cassia would just be a risk.

"But..." Grover started, a green shade overtook his face, like he was about to suggest something he really didn't like. "I think there's a reason that I found you and Percy together at Yancy. There's a reason that the two of you popped up at the same time. A reason that's he's the only son of Poseidon and you're the...only daughter of Zeus. I think you're meant to go on this quest Cassia, but there's only one way to find out."

A feeling rose up in Cassia, she felt jittery and nausea erupted in her stomach. What was she getting herself into? "And what's that?" she asked, toes curling as she tensed on the balls of her feet.

"You've got to go see the Oracle."

🔱

"You know? I'm starting to think this was a really bad idea, maybe we should just head back to bed?" Grover whispered timidly as he stared up at the Big House.

"From what I heard, Underwood, this was your idea in the first place," Jake grunted out as he struggled to adjust the ladder that leaned against the side of the house.

Cassia had gone to Jake for help immediately after Grover visited her. The son of Hephaestus had been apprehensive at breaking into the Big House at first but Grover had pulled him aside, speaking in hushed tones and somehow convincing him to help them. 

The satyr explained to both of them that there was no way Chiron would let Cassia visit the Oracle without a quest of her own so they'd needed a plan to get her into the attic without the centaur knowing. They'd spent half the day planted right next to the volleyball court staring up at the Big House trying to figure out a way in without waking the old centaur. They'd gotten more than a few odd looks as they sat there plotting. 

At one point after a training session with Luke, Percy had even tried to approach the trio but the older counselor had pulled him away down toward the cabins. After hours of tossing ideas back and forth, they'd finally decided the easiest way in was through the attic window resulting in the three of them huddled in a group outside the Big House after lights out, praying that the harpies wouldn't find them.

"Come on, Grover. We're already here. I'll be in and out. Ten minutes max." Cassia had gone into work mode, forcing down the fear and nerves in her gut and focusing on keeping her hands steady as she stared up at the house. They couldn't get the ladder all the way to the window so she'd have to shimmy fifteen feet along the side of the house until she reached it. 

As Jake locked the ladder in place, he glanced back at her. "You ready?"

Cassia sucked in a breath, there was still time to turn back but no, that's not how she rolled. "Yeah, I'm ready."

The climb up the ladder was a piece of cake, her feet finding each step with ease. The ledge that would lead her to the window of the attic, however, was smaller than she originally thought. Cassia swallowed harshly as she slowly turned on the ladder, scooting up until her back hit the house and her right heel found the ledge. Taking a breath, she stepped fully off the ladder sparing a glance to her right. Fifteen feet, she thought trying to convince herself, no problem, I totally got this. 

Cassia must've been at least halfway when she looked down. Her stomach turned as she spied the two figures of Grover and Jake below her. So. Far. Below her. A breeze ruffled her hair as her toes curled inside her sneakers. 

Cassia's fear of heights had always confused her. She loved flying in airplanes and the thought being able to fly had always excited her. It was the falling aspect, however, that had her legs locking up and her breath coming out fast and shallow. If she'd gotten too close to a window in a tall building or even spent too long on the fire escape outside her apartment, the fear would hit her fast and hard. 

Sweat slid down the center of her back as she shut her eyes and grit her teeth. She was going to get to that window if her life depended on it and by the gods she would not fall. It seemed like centuries later that Cassia's fingertips tapped on the glass of the attic window. She struggled not to tear it open and tumble inside. She worked carefully, slowly, and most of all, quietly, as she pulled open the window and climbed inside before shutting it quietly behind her. 

Cassia's nostrils were immediately assaulted by the smell of dust and mold. She fought not to gag as she glanced around the room. She made out the silhouettes of various objects, however she couldn't tell exactly what they were. Trophies of some sort? The room was so dark that she had to rely on the light of the moon to guide her. She turned slowly in a circle scanning the room looking for this Oracle. Grover had told her nothing about it, claiming if he had, she'd refuse to see it.

A whisper suddenly filled her mind, sounding almost like a snake's hiss. 

I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask.

A chill went down Cassia's back as she finally laid eyes on the Oracle, seated on a stool at a small table only feet away from her. The Oracle, which must have once been a woman, had shriveled into a husk. Cassia's heart thundered in her chest as she approached the sundress clad Oracle.

Cassia swallowed, before straightening her spine. "Oracle of Delphi, what is my fate?" She winced at the crack in her voice.

A green mist flowed from the Oracle's mouth, enveloping Cassia entirely, fogging her senses until her mother and Kat appeared before her. She opened her mouth to call out to the women but her voice died in her throat as she saw their eyes. Bright, green, glowing orbs stared back at her, no recognition or feeling portrayed in the eyes she'd found solace in so many times before. This was the Oracle's way of telling her prophecies, Cassia realized. The women opened their mouths and hissed in tandem:

You shall go west, and face the god who has turned,

You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned,

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend,

And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.

Cassia swallowed hard as the vision from the mist faded. Grover had told her the first two lines of the prophecy but he hadn't said anything about Percy mentioning the last two lines. She could see why her friend wouldn't want to broadcast them though. You'll be betrayed by a friend? And fail to save what matters most? The prophecy made it sound like there was no point in Percy going on this quest if he was just going to fail. Cassia shook her head, clearing these doubts away. She knew prophecies could have double meanings. Grover had reminded her of it multiple times before she'd gone up the ladder. 

"Alright, um...cool. Thanks." Cassia mumbled out turning back toward the window. Just as she began to yank the window open, the same raspy voice of the Oracle echoed in her mind once more.

Daughter of king and servant, a choice draws near,

The path before you is all but clear.

Failure you will know from beginning to end.

Traitor you shall turn against all you call friend.

Innocent life reaped and to wretched truth ascend.

Await an attack of which you cannot defend.

Death in endless time will take its final toll

And in dying may you save the keeper of your soul.

Cassia froze, she felt as if the breath had been stolen from her lungs. She whipped around, storming back towards the Oracle all fear of the empty husk forgotten. "What does that mean? What does that mean?"

The Oracle, however, had gone silent for real this time and the green mist had entirely disappeared. Cassia's hands shook as she stumbled away from the skeleton, backing up until she reached the window and wrenched it open. She barely remembered the journey back to the ground, too busy focusing on not throwing up and calming her raging thoughts. She'd be a traitor? Innocent life reaped, did that mean someone was going to die? Death? Dying? Was she going to die?

"Cassia...Cassia!" 

Cassia was drawn back to the present by Jake who was shaking her harshly. It sounded like they were all underwater. "I--I"m alright."

"What did the Oracle say?" Grover stepped forward, shifting restlessly on his cloven hooves.

"It um...it gave me the same lines as Percy." Cassia brought her hand to the bridge of her slender nose, pinching it harshly to bring herself back to reality.

Grover looked like he was going to sigh in relief and vomit in fear at the same time. 

"So it looks like it's settled then," Jake said, drawing Cassia's attention back to him. "You're going on that quest. Better get packing, you leave first thing tomorrow morning."


	11. Chapter 11

Tossing the last few pieces of clothing in her backpack, Cassia zipped it up and rested it on the ground.

"You nervous?" Jake asked as he watched her fold up her sleeping bag and place it in one of the alcoves. The Hephaestus cabin still hadn't gotten around to making her a bunk yet.

Cassia sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Honestly? A little. This place is safe, ya know? It feels dumb to be going back out into a world where I'll constantly be looking over my shoulder. But if Percy and Grover are going then I'm going too."

Jake looked at her thoughtfully. "You really love them, don't you?" 

Cassia smiled slightly despite the tense feeling in the room as the time for her to leave drew closer. "They're the only friends I've ever had, the only people who've ever really cared about me."

Jake nodded. "This might be a stupid question but...what about your mom? Doesn't she care?"

Smile dropping slightly, Cassia said, "Not a stupid question. She just...she's never been around, always left Kat to deal with me and...just some things I've learned about her recently are making me think that I never really mattered to her at all unless it was for her own gain."

"I can understand that. It must be weird though, being in a place she spent so much time in."

"Yeah," Cassia nodded. "It's definitely something else..."

Jake scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, no. You're fine. My mom's just kind of a sore subject right now," she answered, mind drifting off to the vision Hestia had shown her.

Clearing his throat, Jake reached into the small bag he'd brought with him. "Well, anyway. I brought you something, it's not a battle axe but I figured you'd need at least a little something to protect you." He passed her a bronze knife about as long as her forearm, much like the one she'd seen Annabeth carry around. "I know you're not the best with a sword so I figured this might not be as hard to handle."

Cassia accepted the knife, running a finger along the flat side of the blade. It was beautifully crafted, simple but beautiful in its own way. She noticed to initials carved into the hilt. JM.

"Thank you. Did you make this?" she asked softly, grateful to receive the gift.

Jake's famous grin worked its way onto his face, making Cassia blush. "Yeah, it was one of my first. Take good care of it," he joked.

Laughing lightly, Cassia tucked it into her belt. She glanced at the watch on her wrist, the sun would be rising soon. "I guess I should get going soon, huh?"

Jake's smile dropped a little. "Yeah, I guess you should."

Cassia gave him a tight smile, picking up her backpack and shouldering it. Grover was waiting outside for her, ready to help her find a place to hide in the van.

"Hey, wait a sec." Jake grasped her arm as she turned to leave. He pulled her into a tight hug. "Be careful, okay?"

Cassia's face flamed as she wrapped her arms around his middle. "I will, I promise."

Jake let her go, giving her a sad smile. "Alright, get out of here."

Cassia smiled and turned to leave. Just as she was about to open the door Jake called out to her one last time. Turning back with a roll of. her eyes, she looked at him expectantly.

"One last thing," he said, voice serious. "I did some research. Your mom, she was a daughter of Hecate..."

Cassia stared at him a moment waiting for him to continue.

"Just...trust the Mist. As a descendent of Hecate, you're connected to it and it will help you."

Her brow furrowed. "What does that m--"

The door opened and Grover poked his head through. "Hey, not to break up the party but the sun's almost up and I smell harpies," his voice cracked a bit over the last word.

"Right," Cassia nodded. She glanced back at Jack one last time before she gave him a little wave and disappeared through the doorway, trying to ignore the fact that he looked at her as though he would never see her again.

🔱

Cassia shifted in the trunk of the large white van for what must've been the billionth time. She'd been sitting in the back since dawn and pretty quickly she realized how uncomfortable being in the cramped space could get. Just as she was about to let out another groan of pain, she heard voices outside. Hunkering down, she pulled her backpack tightly against her body. 

One of the van doors opened and the voices of Grover and Annabeth filled the van, talking about some shoes that Percy had given him from Luke. A few moments later, Percy joined them in the van and almost immediately began trading jabs with Annabeth. Cassia struggled not to laugh as the van doors closed and they began moving.

As Cassia watched the clouds blow past in the sky from the small window in the trunk, a heavy feeling settled over her body and her eyes began to droop. She hadn't slept a wink the night before and the lack of sleep was finally beginning to catch up with her. The hum of the van's engine and the low murmuring of her friends' voices were quick to draw her into a sweet, dreamless sleep.

🔱

When Cassia woke up, it was raining and the van had stopped. The sounds of Percy, Annabeth and Grover exiting the car jolted her awake. "Oh, shi--"

Clamping a hand over her mouth, she listened for a moment to see if the trio had heard her. Luckily, they were a bit preoccupied. Shifting to get her bag over her shoulder, Cassia slowly pulled at the inner handle of the trunk. She winced at the sound the door made as it opened and quickly slipped out into the rain before gently closing the door.

Her friends were currently located on the opposite side of the van, staring down at their bus tickets. Cassia let out a relieved breath as she realized she was in the clear. Losing herself in the throngs of people, she kept a close eye on her friends as they moved through the crowds making sure to stay a good hundred feet away so they wouldn't notice her.

Grover had warned her not to reveal herself too early, otherwise Annabeth wouldn't hesitate to find a payphone and figure out a way to send her home. Though the thought frustrated her to know end, Cassia understood why the girl would do such a thing. Annabeth had been waiting for this quest for years and wouldn't want a single thing jeopardizing it, however, there was no way Cassia would let her friends risk their lives without her.

The group had finally found the bus terminal they would be departing from in two hours time. Making sure her hood covered her face, Cassia took a seat on a bench a few feet away from them, close enough to hear their conversation but far enough that they wouldn't notice her. She watched as Grover sniffed the air, ears twitching as he discreetly glanced around the terminal, no doubt looking for Cassia. She figured once they were on the bus and a safe distance away from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, she'd reveal herself to the group. She knew Annabeth would be pissed but there was nothing she could do about it now.

Sighing, Cassia settled deeper into her seat as she watched her friends start a game of Hacky Sack. She smiled slightly as she watched them, Annabeth was a good addition to their little group. She fit in perfectly with the boys, just as Cassia did. She could almost imagine herself over in Annabeth's spot, teasing Percy and laughing with Grover. An envious feeling settled in her chest. Annabeth was almost a perfect replacement for her.

Gritting her teeth, Cassia turned away from her friends. No, Annabeth was not a replacement for her. She knew this. Despite the drastic change in their lives, Cassia knew that the boys would never replace her. They'd all become good friends, finding a new dynamic for their group of four overtime...right? Cassia rolled her eyes, she was totally blowing this out of proportion but still, the little ball of hurt and jealousy in her chest wouldn't go away. Cassia shoved t down, doing her best to ignore the pesky feeling.

Cassia glanced up at the departure board. The bus didn't leave for another hour and a half. An idea began forming in her mind. She wasn't too far from her mom's apartment where Kat was no doubt staying for the time being. Cassia hadn't even had a chance to talk to the woman since the night she arrived at Camp Half-Blood. If she was quick...she might be able to get to her mother's apartment to check on Kat and be back before the bus left. 

She looked back over at Annabeth, Grover, and Percy all distracted and playing Hacky Sack. A nervous feeling settled in her stomach but she didn't have time to debate if she wanted to get back in time. She made her decision. Tugging her hood lower over her head, Cassia shouldered her backpack and went to hail down a taxi.

🔱

The taxi ride to her apartment building didn't take long at all. Stepping into the building felt oddly surreal, it seemed as though a lifetime had passed since she'd walked through the front doors only a few weeks ago. Nerves roiled in her gut as she checked the time on her watch. She still had an hour and fifteen minutes before the bus left so why was she so nervous?

The first thing that struck her as odd was the absence of the superintendent normally camped out at her desk in the front lobby. The woman was terribly nosy and loved to see who came and went from her building. However, it was about dinnertime so Cassia shrugged it off, figuring the woman had gone out. The second thing was the broken elevator. There were nine floors to the building and the elderly residents always demanded there be a working elevator. But elevator's broke all the time, right?

Taking the stairs two at a time, Cassia's bag thumped against her back as she shoved open the stairwell door. She strode down the hall, ready to search for the key hidden to the right of the doorframe when she noticed her front door already cracked open, the lock broken and part of the doorframe in splinters as if the door had been busted in. 

A sinking feeling settled in Cassia's gut as her heart began to pound. Every instinct in her screamed for her to turn and run but like every girl in every classic horror movie, she ignored it and pushed the door open.

"Kat? Mom?" 

Cassia stepped into the apartment and her breath caught in her throat. It looked as if a tornado had raged through the place. Swallowing slightly, she walked further in, her Nike's crunching on shattered glass. Picture frames had been swept off the walls, her mother's precious china tea set had been ripped from its cupboard and now lay in pieces on the ground. The herbs that had been hanging from various elevated pots had been ripped from the ceiling so hard that parts of the drywall had come down with them. The smell of gas overpowered the normal scent of her mother's candles and balms and a strange hissing noise filled the apartment, the gas line to the stove must've been leaking.

"Kat?" Cassia called again but there was no answer.

Drawing the bronze knife from her belt, Cassia crept down the hallway towards the bedrooms not failing to take note of the claw marks that raked through the walls. Pushing her mother's bedroom door open, she found it in shambles as well, but empty. Same with the closet at the end of the hall. Just as she was about to open the door to her own room, the hissing grew louder and a crash sounded behind her.

Whirling around, Cassia came face to face with a monster almost as hideous as Mrs. Dodds. A woman stood before her, her face and upper body green and scaly but where her legs should've been, there were two snakelike tentacles. Cassia's mouth went dry and she froze.

"Well, hello Casssssandra Price." The snake woman smiled, her teeth black and pointy just like her claws. She'd have no trouble tearing Cassia to pieces with those.

Fear made Cassia's heart rate spike but the anger overpowered it. "Get the hell out of my house."

The snake woman just chuckled as she slowly slithered closer, Cassia retreated a step, her back hitting the open closet. door. "Trapped like a little moussssse in a cage."

"You destroyed my home." Cassia snapped, as she looked for anything at all that would help her get past the monster standing between her and the way out.

"Thisss?" The snake woman looked around, raising her arms in the air, gesturing to the disaster around her. "Oh no, thisss wasss not me."

Anger flared again and Cassia spotted her opportunity. If she could get snake lady to lunge, she could trap her in the closet. It might just buy her enough time to book it. "Don't lie! Where the hell is Kat? What did you do to her?"

"The disssappearance of Katherine Heffssson wasss not my doing either. However, I have no qualmsss againsst making you disssappear." The snake woman slithered a few feet closer and Cassia waved her bronze knife at the monster. There was no way Cassia would be able to take her down with just that. "Unfortunately, my massster still has ussse of you...but I'm sure he won't mind if I have just a little tassste." Licking her crusty lips, the woman extended her claws.

"Oh yeah? Well, come and get it, Lizard face!" 

"Lizard face!?" The snake woman screeched and lunged. 

Cassia ducked as the woman tumbled over her into the open closet. She slammed the door shut pushing her back against it to keep it closed and only moments later the monster began screeching and pounding against it.

"Let me out, Cassssandra!"

Gritting her teeth, Cassia reached over, griping a small table her mom kept in the hallway for flowers and tugged it over. Anchoring it in front of the closet door would only give her a few seconds of a head start. She prayed to the gods it would be enough.

"Let me out now and I won't rip you to bloody pieces, you sniveling half-blood!"

"I may be a sniveling half-blood but at least I don't look like a crossbreed between a snake and an ogre!" Cassia shoved the table under the door handle and sprinted down the hall, knife in hand, as the snake woman screeched in rage and the pounding renewed with vigor.

Cassia whirled around the corner into the kitchen, only to find that the front door had been blocked by one of her mother's large wooden cabinets, the snake woman must've pushed it to narrow Cassia's escape routes. 

Gritting her teeth Cassia whirled around. "Think, think, think!" But she couldn't not with the overpowering smell of gas and the damned sun shining through her eyes from the window. The window!

Launching herself across the room, Cassia tugged open the window as a sickening crack sounded throughout the apartment. 

"I'm coming for you little hero!" The snake woman screeched. 

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" There was no way she'd be able to get down the fire escape before the snake woman caught up. She was sure she was going to be dead meat when she spotted the box of matches on the table that she'd left out all those weeks ago. She quickly snatched them before throwing herself out the window and pressing herself against the brick.

Cassia fought to slow her breathing as she listened to the snake woman rustle through the house looking for her.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, Cassssandra!" The snake woman called, her thick accent almost making it hard for Cassia to understand her. "You know...it's bessst if you let me end your life now, little hero. Your life will be filled with so much needlessss pain and suffering, especially if you're anything like your namesssake. Let me end it now, my ssssweet."

Cassia struck a match and the snake woman paused. She poked her head through the window one last time and the snake woman's slitted eyes met hers from across the room. Cassis shot her a sickening smile. "Yeah, well, I kind of like being alive so thanks but I'll pass. Have fun burning in Tartarus," she finished and chucked the match through the window before launching herself down the fire escape. 

A sickening boom split through the night and heat burned at Cassia's back as the gas caught fire from the match. The high pitched scream of the snake woman tore through Cassia's eardrums as she tumbled down the stairs. Sirens began sounding in the distance and the people on the street below began pointing up at her and yelling, many of them with their phones already out recording.

Cassia's head pounded as she reached the bottom of the fire escape and sprinted through the crowds of people, desperate to get as far away from her mother's burning apartment and back to her friends. And no matter how much she wanted to, she refused to let herself look back.

🔱

Cassia didn't know when exactly the tears started to fall but all she knew now was that they wouldn't stop. She was currently locked in one of the nasty bus terminal bathroom stalls with fifteen minutes until boarding and no hope that this quest was going to get any better. Maybe she just should've stay at camp and let Annabeth, Grover, and Percy handle getting the master bolt back to her father. She hadn't even joined up with her friends yet and she felt like she had already failed them.

Pressing the heels of her hands against her forehead, she considered her options. She could return to camp, face the ramifications of her running away, and let her friends risk their lives on their own. Or she could stay, go with her friends, and help them in whatever way she could. She knew what Clarisse would do, what she'd tell her. She could almost hear the girl saying, "Well, you've come this far. You've already made the bad decision to go on the quest whether it's allowed or not. The only choice now is between honor and shame. Will you bring honor to your father by bringing him the bolt and honor your commitment to help your friends? Or will you return home, and let the shame you'll feel drown you for the rest of your life?"

Sure, it was a little bit of a harsh outlook but it was something Clarisse would say and she knew what Clarisse would do. So Cassia stood up, wiped her tears, steeled her resolve and left the bathroom to board the bus.

🔱

Stepping onto the bus, Cassia realized she'd forgotten one minor detail in her plan. Her bus ticket. She didn't have any money to purchase one and her trio of friends had had theirs since they left camp. So she was now faced with the problem of the bus driver, looking up at her expectantly with his hand outstretched.

"Ticket, please?" His voice was bored, annoyed. No doubt he hated his job dealing with whiny passengers and long hours so there'd be no expecting any help from him.

"Umm..." Cassia desperately tried to come up with a story. "Well, you see the thing is..."

A gust of wind suddenly blew through the open bus doors, turning into a gentle breeze as it ruffled her hair and the bus driver's cap. She watched, fascinated as his eyes glazed over, a strange white almost misty film covering them. After a moment, they cleared.

"Right well, go on and grab a seat kid," he waved her past, the annoyed tone present in his voice once more.

Cassia's brow furrowed. "But wait, my ticket..."

The driver simply rolled his eyes as if she was inconveniencing him. "I already scanned it kid. Now move along, you're wasting my time."

Cassia simply blinked at him in surprise. "I--uh, right." She turned quickly heading for a seat before the bus driver could realize his mistake. That was too weird, she thought.

Minutes later, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth all filed in taking the few open seats near the back only a couple rows behind Cassia. She made sure to keep her hood up and her hand turned toward the window so they wouldn't notice her.

Just as the bus was about to leave and Cassia thought they were all in the clear, three little old ladies boarded the push and Cassia knew they were done for.

🔱

Mrs. Dodds and who Cassia could only assume were her two sisters sat in the front row, right behind the driver wearing matching outfits. The Kindly Ones, or Furies, all three of them. Annabeth had given Cassia a quick lesson on them during one of their meeting to study Ancient Greek. To meet one was bad luck enough, but all three? You pretty much didn't stand a chance. Annabeth had also mentioned that it could take monsters lifetimes to regenerate and return from tartarus if you were lucky. Guess she wasn't lucky.

Cassia slumped down in her seat as she watched the Furies stand one by one in the front row as the bus left the station and entered the Lincoln Tunnel.

"I need to use the restroom," Mrs. Dodds said, her voice flat and rehearsed.

Her other two sisters echoed her statement and the three of them began shuffling down the aisle. Cassia slouched lower in her seat as she felt an odd breeze blow past her and a familiar smell filled the air. She shook it off as the Furies drew closer. One of them pause at an empty row of seats before continuing down the aisle. Cassia held her breath as the Furies passed her, none of them sparing her a glance, probably due to the fact she smelled like gasoline and smoke.

At the sound of the first scream, Cassia was up out of her seat, bronze blade brandished, and charging towards the first Fury. The trio of them were already snapping their whips at Grover and Annabeth, screaming over and over again. "Where is it!?"

"He's not here!" Annabeth screamed back. "He's gone!"

Cassia wasted no time devising a strategy and straight up football tackled the first Fury to the ground which probably hadn't been a good idea because when she went down, the Fury's burning whip went down with her, searing Cassia's arm. She let out a yelp as she pushed herself off the monster and passengers began screaming. She could only imagine what it must've looked like to them seeing a twelve year old tackle an old woman.

The Fury twisted away from Cassia, backing up towards the safety of her sisters. Cassia grasped her arm as it stung.

"Cassia?" Annabeth gasped out, a little busy trying to fend off the other two Furies with her bronze knife.

"You made it!" Grover cried.

Cassia shot him a tight smile. "Sure did." She took a step forward ready to stab at whichever Fury she could reach when the bus careened out of the Lincoln Tunnel, crashing into other vehicles bumper car style.

Cassia lost her balance, smacking her head against a metal armrest and the world went fuzzy for a minute. She touched her head to the back of her head, no blood but she'd definitely feel that tomorrow. She didn't know what was going on with the bus driver but she sure as hell knew the guy needed his license suspended. Cassia began pushing herself up, only to find Mrs. Dodds herself standing over her, whip at the ready.

"Where is it, daughter of Zeus!?" She screeched. Cassia raised her arm and Mrs. Dodds raised her whip, poised to strike.

"HEY!" A familiar pissed off voice met her ears and Cassia smiled despite the knot of pain in the back of her head.

Mrs. Dodds whipped around only to find Percy before her, brandishing the same sword he'd used against her that day in the museum.

"Perseus Jackson. You have offended the gods." Her voice had gone entirely demonic. "You shall die along with the daughter of Zeus."

"I liked you better as a math teacher," Percy snarked. Only he could say something like that when almost about to die.

Cassia pushed herself into a standing position behind the Fury, her two sisters perched on now empty bus seats and facing Percy. Annabeth and Grover stood at the ready at Cassia's back.

"Submit now and you will not suffer eternal torment," Mrs. Dodds growled.

"The only one suffering eternal torment will be you for giving me an F on my last math test!" Cassia shot at her before lunging towards one of the furies and chaos ensued.

Percy distracted Mrs. Dodds while Annabeth jumped on her back, putting her in a chokehold. Grover ripped the whip from her hands, dropping it as it burned him. Cassia tussled with the Fury she'd lunged at, somehow managing to avoid the sharp black talons and swipe her bronze knife at her belly. The Fury exploded into dust covering Cassia head to toe. Gods she'd need a shower at some point.

Percy managed to disable the third Fury while Annabeth and Grover tangled Mrs. Dodds legs in her own fiery whip and shoved her towards the back of the bus.

"Zeus will destroy you!" She screamed at Percy. "And Hades will have your souls!"

"Braccas meas vescimini!" Percy yelled back, which, from Annabeth's lessons, Cassia could roughly translate to "Eat my pants!"

Thunder rumbled overhead and Cassia froze as she recognized the telltale feeling of lightning about to strike. "Off the bus!" She screamed. "Guys! GET OFF THE BUS!"

Cassia shoved the trio ahead of her, pushing them out the doors, leaving Mrs. Dodds behind. She didn't stop pushing them, not even when a tourist in a Hawaiian shirt snapped their photograph, Percy's sword clear as day in his hand.

Grover pushed against her. "Wait! Our bags! We left our--"

BOOOOM!

Lightning exploded through the night as the bus was blasted to smithereens behind them. Shattered glass rained down on their heads as tourists screamed, running for dear life.

Mrs. Dodds screeched from the remains of the bus, unfortunately not dead yet.

"Run! She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!" Annabeth yelled at their group.

The four of them sprinted towards the woods, leaving nothing behind but an angry Fury and a burning bus.


End file.
